If you’ve spent any time on the internet over the last few years, you’ve seen the headlines. The Cyrus family was, to put it mildly, a mess. For a long time, the public relationship between Miley Cyrus and her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, looked more like a cold war than a country-music dynasty. It was weird to watch. We grew up seeing them as the ultimate father-daughter duo on Hannah Montana, and then suddenly, they weren't even in the same room.
Things got heavy.
It wasn't just typical Hollywood drama. We’re talking about a full-blown family fracture that saw the kids taking sides after Tish and Billy Ray finally called it quits in 2022. For a while, it seemed like the bridge was burned, especially when Miley skipped her dad in that 2024 Grammys speech. But honestly? Things have shifted.
What Really Happened with Miley Cyrus and Her Dad
The rift didn't happen overnight. It was a slow burn that turned into a wildfire when Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus divorced after nearly 30 years. When your parents split after three decades, it’s going to be rough. But when they both move on at lightning speed? That’s where it gets complicated.
Miley was clearly "Team Mom" for a long time. She was right there by Tish's side when she married Dominic Purcell in 2023. Meanwhile, Billy Ray was off marrying Firerose, a singer who was significantly younger than him. Fans noticed Miley unfollowed her dad. The silence was deafening.
Then came the 2024 Grammys. Miley won Record of the Year for "Flowers"—a massive career milestone. She thanked her mom. She thanked her sister. She even joked about forgetting her underwear. She did not thank Billy Ray.
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Social media blew up. People called it a "snub," but it felt more like a boundary. Miley has always been vocal about her need for independence, and for a long time, being "Billy Ray's daughter" was a shadow she worked hard to outrun.
The Turning Point: Why 2025 Changed Everything
Families are complicated. They're even more complicated when everyone is famous and dating other famous people. By mid-2025, the narrative started to flip. Billy Ray’s whirlwind marriage to Firerose ended in a messy, seven-month divorce filled with "inappropriate marital conduct" allegations and legal battles over credit cards. It was a "nightmare," according to his own lawyers.
Ironically, the chaos might have been what brought the family back together.
Music as the "Musical Medicine"
Miley eventually broke her silence in a big way. She didn't do a PR-heavy sit-down; she used her music. She wrote a song called “Secrets” specifically for her dad’s 64th birthday in August 2025. It wasn't just some throwaway track either. She got rock legends Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham to play on it.
That’s a hell of a birthday gift.
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She called it "musical medicine." Basically, she decided to be the "adult" in the room. In an interview with The New York Times, she explained that seeing both of her parents find happiness—Tish with Dominic and Billy Ray moving on with Elizabeth Hurley—allowed her to love them as individuals rather than just a "parental pairing."
The Siblings and the Split
The Cyrus kids were split for a while. It was almost like a movie.
- Team Tish: Miley, Brandi, and Trace. They were the ones at the Malibu wedding.
- Team Billy Ray: Noah and Braison. They were famously spotted at Walmart during Tish’s wedding, with Noah even wearing a Billy Ray t-shirt.
But even that seems to be softening. In late 2025, Braison released a track featuring Miley called "Know This." Billy Ray was all over social media promoting it, sounding like a proud dad again. It looks like the wall is finally coming down.
Understanding the Billy Ray Legacy
We can't talk about dad Miley Cyrus without acknowledging that Billy Ray isn't just a "celebrity dad." The man was a juggernaut in the 90s. Some Gave All stayed at number one for 17 weeks. You couldn't go to a wedding or a grocery store in 1992 without hearing "Achy Breaky Heart."
Miley has admitted that her dad's career gave her a "map" of what to do—and what not to do. She told Rolling Stone years ago that he warned her about the industry. He didn't want her to get hurt. But he also gave her the "toughness" to survive it.
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The relationship is nuanced. It’s not all sunshine, and it’s not all "Achy Breaky" drama. It’s two people who have spent their entire lives under a microscope trying to figure out how to be a family when the cameras are off.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Observers
If you've been following the Cyrus saga, here is what you should actually take away from the latest developments:
- Don't believe every "snub" headline. Celebrities use public silence to handle private business. Miley skipping a name in a speech doesn't always mean a permanent blood feud; sometimes it just means they're in a "growing pains" phase.
- Reconciliation takes time. The shift from 2024's total silence to 2025's musical collaborations shows that family dynamics are fluid. Just because they aren't posting selfies together doesn't mean they aren't talking.
- Individual happiness matters. Miley’s perspective on seeing her parents as "individuals" is actually a pretty healthy way to look at divorce. It’s a lesson in "parentification"—she stopped carrying her mother’s pain and started living her own life.
The Cyrus family drama might finally be entering its "peace" era. It took a lot of messy divorces and a few Grammy snubs to get there, but the bridge seems to be rebuilt. For now.
To stay updated on their latest collaborations, you can follow Miley's official channels for any news on upcoming releases of the songs she's gifted to her family members, which often serve as the first sign of a mended relationship.