Miley Cyrus Opens Up About Rift with Dad Billy Ray and Their Efforts to Reconnect

Miley Cyrus is shedding light on the emotional journey that led to her estrangement from her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, and how personal growth and time helped pave the way toward reconciliation.

In a candid interview with The New York Times, Miley Cyrus opened up about the long-rumored rift with her father, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. The pop star invited the outlet to ask her anything, leading to a raw and introspective conversation about her family dynamics and the healing process that followed her parents' divorce.

"I think timing is everything," Miley said, explaining how growing older helped her view her parents differently. "As I've gotten older, I'm respecting my parents as individuals instead of as parents – because my mom's really loved my dad for her whole life, and I think being married to someone in the music industry and not being a part of it is obviously really hard."

Miley's parents, Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus, divorced in 2022 after nearly three decades of marriage. Reflecting on the emotional impact, she added, "And so, I think I took on some of my mom's hurt as my own because it hurt her more than it hurt me as an adult, and so I owned a lot of her pain."

The "More to Lose" singer said her perspective shifted as both of her parents found new love. Tish Cyrus married "Prison Break" star Dominic Purcell in 2023, while Billy Ray is currently in a relationship with actress Elizabeth Hurley.

"Now that my mom is so in love with my stepdad, who I completely adore, and now that my dad, I see him finding happiness, too—I can love them both as individuals instead of as a parental pairing," Miley shared. "I'm being an adult about it."

She acknowledged that reaching this level of emotional maturity took time. "The little kid in you reacts before the adult in you can go, 'Yes, that's your dad, but that's just another person that deserves to be in his bliss and to be happy,'" she said. "My child self has caught up."

Her remarks come weeks after Billy Ray posted a family photo with Miley at her brother Braison's 31st birthday celebration—more than a year after fans speculated a rift, especially when Miley noticeably omitted her father from her 2024 Grammy Awards acceptance speech.