Honestly, the summer and fall of 2019 felt like a fever dream for anyone keeping tabs on pop culture. You had the high-profile separation of Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth, then that whirlwind month with Kaitlynn Carter, and suddenly, out of nowhere—but also not really—Cody Simpson entered the frame. It wasn't just a rebound. It was a ten-year friendship that basically exploded into a romance over açai bowls and hospital visits.
Most people saw the headlines and figured it was just Miley being Miley, moving fast and breaking things. But if you actually look at the history, these two were deeply entwined for a decade before they ever posted a couple’s selfie. It was a "friends-to-lovers" arc that felt like a movie, right up until the moment it didn't.
The Long Road to Miley Cyrus Cody Simpson
People forget that Cody Simpson was basically the "Australian Justin Bieber" back in the day. In 2012, when he was just a kid with surfer hair, he told Fuse that Miley was his "childhood celebrity crush." He wasn't shy about it. He knew all the words to her songs. Fast forward to 2014, and they were actually hanging out at her ranch in Nashville.
Cody was dating Gigi Hadid at the time. Miley was with Patrick Schwarzenegger. They were just two famous kids navigating the weirdness of child stardom together. Cody even told GQ Australia in 2015 that Miley was one of his "best friends" who helped him "escape his childhood." That’s a heavy bond. It wasn’t built on PR; it was built on shared trauma and creative respect. She even designed the cover art for his 2015 single "Flower."
Why 2019 Changed Everything
The shift happened fast. October 2019. TMZ catches them making out at Backyard Bowls in Los Angeles. Miley, being the queen of not giving a damn, went to Instagram and basically asked, "Can a girl not get an açaí bowl and a morning make-out session in peace?"
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Then came the tonsillitis.
Miley ended up in the hospital, and Cody didn't just send flowers. He showed up with a guitar and wrote her a song called "Golden." She actually forced him to release it. She told him if he didn't put it on Spotify, she was going to hack his account and do it herself. That’s the kind of chaotic, supportive energy they had. For a few months, it looked like they were the real deal. They moved in together during the 2020 COVID lockdowns, did TikTok dances, and shared matching tattoos. It felt permanent.
The Turning Point
By August 2020, it was over. Less than a year of "official" dating, and they called it quits.
What went wrong?
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It wasn't a cheating scandal. It wasn't some dramatic blowout. Cody finally opened up about it on The Kyle and Jackie O Show a couple of years later. He explained that it was a "fork in the road" scenario. Cody was shifting gears—hard. He had decided to pursue competitive swimming at an Olympic level, which meant moving back to Australia for professional training.
Miley was heading in the opposite direction. She was gearing up for the Plastic Hearts era, getting ready to tour, and diving deep into her rock-and-roll rebirth. You’ve got one person trying to wake up at 4:00 AM to hit a pool in Gold Coast and another living the rockstar life in L.A. It just doesn't scale.
Lessons from the "Phase"
Miley described the split best on an Instagram Live. She said, "Two halves can't make a whole." They were both in a transitional period, figuring out who they were outside of their past relationships.
Cody later called the relationship "just one of those phases." Some fans took that as a dig, but if you look at his tone, it wasn't. It was an acknowledgment that they served a purpose in each other's lives for a specific season. They helped each other heal during a global pandemic and personal upheaval.
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What You Can Take Away
If you're looking at the Miley Cyrus Cody Simpson saga for your own life, there are a few real-world takeaways that aren't just tabloid fodder:
- Friendship is the best foundation, but not a guarantee. Being friends for 10 years made their romance easy, but it didn't solve the problem of conflicting life goals.
- Geography matters. You can love someone deeply, but if your career requires you to be on a different continent, love often isn't enough.
- Endings don't have to be messy. Both Miley and Cody have spoken about each other with nothing but respect since the split. They proved you can unfollow someone on Instagram (which they did) and still value the time you spent together.
Miley has since moved on with Maxx Morando, and Cody has stayed focused on the water and his music. The 2019-2020 era was a specific moment in time—a "golden" thing, as Cody sang—that simply ran its course.
To stay updated on how their careers have diverged since the split, you can follow Miley's latest musical projects via her official site or check the Australian Olympic swimming trials results to see Cody's progress in the pool. Understanding the timeline of their individual growth provides a much clearer picture of why the relationship ended than any rumor ever could.