Miley Cyrus’s Mom: What Most People Get Wrong About Tish Cyrus

Leticia "Tish" Cyrus-Purcell isn't just a face in the front row of the Grammys. Honestly, most people see her as the "momager" behind Miley's behemoth career and stop there. That’s a mistake. While the world was busy watching Miley swing on a wrecking ball, Tish was navigating a thirty-year marriage that was essentially the bedrock of the Cyrus dynasty—until it wasn't.

She is 58 now. Life looks a lot different than it did in the Nashville days. Recently, she’s been incredibly raw about the fact that her public persona as a composed, powerhouse manager was often a mask for a woman just trying to keep her head above water.

The Breakup That Leveled Everything

For a long time, Tish and Billy Ray Cyrus were the ultimate country-pop power couple. They married in 1993, but by 2022, the "Achy Breaky Heart" singer and the woman who helped build his empire were done. For real this time. It wasn't their first filing—they’d danced with divorce in 2010 and 2013—but the finality of the April 2022 split hit differently.

Tish has since admitted she was "terrified." It’s a relatable feeling, even if you aren't a multi-millionaire producer. After three decades, who are you without that partner?

The timing was brutal. Her mother, Loretta "Mammie" Finley, passed away in 2020 at the age of 85. Tish describes this as a "twin tragedy." She lost her mother—who was a constant presence on the Hannah Montana set—and her marriage in a single, messy blur. On a January 2026 episode of the podcast The Squeeze, she confessed that she was "not functioning" during this period.

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She spent about 30 days unable to eat or sleep. Basically, she had a complete psychological breakdown. She’s been open about "self-medicating" with marijuana to numb the pain, a move she says masked the anxiety until she finally stopped and the feelings hit her like a freight train.

The Dominic Purcell Factor and the Noah "Feud"

Then came Dominic Purcell. You’ve seen him as the tough guy in Prison Break. Tish has loved his work for years, even jokingly calling him her "hall pass" during her previous marriage. In a very modern twist, she actually slid into his DMs.

They married in August 2023 at Miley’s Malibu home. It was a beautiful, poolside ceremony, but the headlines weren't about the flowers. They were about who wasn't there.

Noah Cyrus, Tish’s youngest, skipped the wedding. This ignited a firestorm of rumors that Tish had "stolen" Dominic from Noah. Reports swirled that Noah and Dominic had a casual "friends with benefits" thing before Tish ever entered the picture. Neither Tish nor Noah confirmed this directly for a long time, leading to a massive perceived rift in the family.

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The current status? It’s looking a lot better.

By April 2025, the two had seemingly buried the hatchet. Noah moved to a house very close to Tish, and they started appearing on Tish’s podcast, Sorry We’re Cyrus, together. Tish even gave a ringing endorsement of Noah’s fiancé, Pinkus. It turns out that being neighbors and finding a favorite local ice cream truck can do wonders for a strained relationship.

More Than Just a "Momager"

Tish’s resume is actually pretty stacked if you look past the tabloid drama. She didn't just stand by; she produced.

• The Last Song: She was an executive producer on the movie where Miley met Liam Hemsworth.
• LOL and So Undercover: She stayed in the producer chair for Miley's transition into more adult roles.
• Hopetown Entertainment: She runs this production company, focusing on television and film.
• Management: She still co-manages Miley and Noah with the team at Crush Music.

She’s also a grandmother now. Her son Braison and his wife Stella had a son, Bear, in 2021. This shift from "manager of the world’s biggest star" to "grandmother trying to manage her own anxiety" is what makes her story so human right now.

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What We Can Learn From the "Poster Girl for Starting Over"

Tish has said she wants to be a "poster girl" for women her age. She wants to show that you can leave a 30-year marriage and not only survive but find a version of yourself that is "more present."

She credits a few specific things for her 2026 outlook:

1. Therapy: She’s been vocal about how talking to a professional helped her realize she was masking her grief.
2. Plant Medicine Literacy: While she used marijuana to numb out initially, she now speaks about "plant medicine" with more intentionality, focusing on how her body was keeping the score of her trauma.
3. Boundaries: She’s moved away from the "no communication" style of her past relationship toward one where she feels "safe" and encouraged to "fly."

Miley herself cleared the air in May 2025, calling Tish her "hero" and "best friend." Despite the "unfollow" glitches on Instagram that sent the internet into a panic, the bond between the two remains the strongest pillar of the Cyrus family.

Actionable Takeaways for Navigating Change

If you’re looking at Tish Cyrus’s journey and feeling a bit of that "starting over" fear yourself, there are a few practical steps to take from her playbook:

• Audit your "numbing" habits. Tish realized her weed use was a band-aid, not a cure. If you're using something—work, social media, substances—to avoid a big life change, it will eventually catch up.
• Communication is the safety net. Tish noted that her new marriage feels different because there is actual dialogue. If you’re entering a new chapter, prioritize partners (romantic or professional) who value transparency.
• Don't fear the "psychological breakdown." Sometimes the "coming out of your skin" feeling is just the old version of you shedding. Tish came out the other side with a more grounded personality.
• Address the "body" of the issue. Following Miley's advice, Tish looked into The Body Keeps the Score. Understanding how trauma lives in your physical self can be a game-changer for chronic anxiety.

Tish Cyrus proves that being the mother of a superstar doesn't exempt you from the messiness of being human. She’s just doing it with better hair and a louder microphone.

If you’re interested in how the rest of the family is faring, you might want to look into Miley’s recent Grammy sweeps or Noah’s latest album cycle, as both are heavily influenced by the family’s new "healed" era.