After Years of Distance, Miley Cyrus Reconnects with Her Father Billy Ray
Miley Cyrus is finally in a better place with her dad Billy Ray Cyrus after what felt like a long emotional distance. She’s coming into a new understanding of her parents, no longer looking at them only through the lens of childhood but seeing them now as people — flawed, real, and deserving of grace.
In a recent chat with The New York Times, the singer shared how age has changed how she relates to her family. There’s no bitterness in her voice, just clarity. “I’ve gotten older and I don’t just see them as mom and dad anymore. I see two people who tried,” Miley said. She talked about how her mom, Tish, had loved Billy Ray deeply for most of her life. And how tough it must’ve been being married to a man so deeply tied to music, without being part of that same world. That disconnect left marks.
What hit hardest was when Miley admitted she carried her mother’s pain like it was her own. “It hurt her in ways I didn’t even understand until I was older. And I kind of adopted that pain without realizing,” she said quietly.
Tish and Billy Ray officially divorced in 2022. They’ve moved on since. Tish found love again and married actor Dominic Purcell — you might know him from Prison Break. Billy Ray, on his side, is dating singer Elizabeth Hurley. The chapter of them being a couple is over, but a new one has started.
Miley said she’s in a space now where she doesn’t need her parents to be together to love them. She’s learned to support each of them for who they are. “My mom is so happy with her husband now, and I really do love him. And I see my dad finding joy, too. That’s all I want. I don’t need to see them as a team anymore. I just love them both, separately.”
Of course, when you grow up as a Cyrus, nothing ever stays private for long. Their family issues have been tabloid material for years. But Miley doesn’t carry that stress the way she used to. “Things move so fast now. In the ’90s, something would happen and you’d be stuck with it for a whole year. Now it vanishes,” she said.
Living under that spotlight used to feel like a curse. But she’s made peace with it. “If the trade-off is that I sometimes deal with weird stories or people’s opinions, but in return I get to live the life I do — then I’ll take that deal.”
