Miley Cyrus and Patrick Schwarzenegger: A Look Back at Their Short-Lived Romance

A brief moment at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards — a quick cheek kiss — was enough to send longtime fans revisiting a relationship that once dominated headlines for all the right and wrong reasons.

After Miley Cyrus and Patrick Schwarzenegger crossed paths again in 2026, it didn’t take long for the internet to rewind to their short-lived romance from more than a decade ago — a five-month whirlwind that began at a college football game, escalated into high-profile nights out, and ended in scandal-fueled headlines.

Long before the two ever stepped out as a couple, Schwarzenegger had already hinted he was interested. Back in 2011, he admitted during an interview that he had a celebrity crush on Cyrus. “My eye, though, is set on Miley,” he declared.

Fall 2014: The First Sparks

Cyrus and Schwarzenegger first made waves in fall 2014. At the time, the pair were spotted kissing at a USC Trojans football game — the kind of casual-yet-loud public appearance that instantly kicked rumors into high gear.

The visuals were as specific to the era as the gossip itself: Cyrus leaned into the school spirit with Trojan gear, including a beanie and a letterman jacket, while Schwarzenegger kept it understated in all black on the sidelines.

Adding even more intrigue, Cyrus was also coming off a break from Liam Hemsworth, her longtime on-again, off-again partner. With the “Wrecking Ball” singer stepping into a new chapter of independence and reinvention, her new connection to Schwarzenegger quickly became a hot topic.

Winter 2014: Trips, Parties, and a Fast-Moving Vibe

Not long after the football game sighting, the couple’s relationship seemed to go from whispered rumor to full-on public romance. In December 2014, they traveled together to Miami and Las Vegas, joining friends and enjoying the kind of nightlife-filled getaway that tends to end up on everyone’s feed — especially when one half of the couple is a global superstar.

Between the travel, the group outings, and the growing list of sightings, it didn’t look like a slow-burn romance. It looked like something that arrived quickly and intensely — and fans followed every development in real time.

Early 2015: Red Carpets and “Luckiest Guy” Energy

By February 2015, their relationship had moved into official-feeling territory. Schwarzenegger marked Valentine’s Day by posting about Cyrus on Instagram, calling himself the “luckiest guy in the world” and sharing a photo of the two together. The post has since been deleted.

That same month, Cyrus brought Schwarzenegger as her date to the Pre-Grammy Gala and Salute to Industry Icons presented by Clive Davis and The Recording Academy, where the foundation honored Martin Bandier. Inside, they posed together and reportedly stayed close — an unmistakable sign that this wasn’t just a casual hangout.

And the couple didn’t stop there. Before February ended, they were seated front row at Tom Ford’s Autumn/Winter 2015 Womenswear runway show in Los Angeles, a fashion-world moment made even more starry by nearby attendees Scarlett Johansson and Amy Adams. For a relationship that had only been public for a short time, their calendar suddenly looked like a celebrity power couple’s schedule.

March–April 2015: The Scandal and the Split

But the glamorous streak didn’t last. In March 2015, Schwarzenegger landed in the center of cheating allegations after he was photographed on spring break in Mexico getting close with a mystery brunette. Reports described the woman draping her arms around his neck, and he was also seen doing body shots off her — images that quickly ignited backlash and speculation about the state of his relationship with Cyrus.

Schwarzenegger denied the infidelity claims, but the damage appeared to be done. By April 2015, the couple had officially called it quits, bringing their brief romance to an abrupt end.

What Happened Next

After the split, Cyrus eventually returned to a familiar love story. She rekindled her romance with Hemsworth the following year, later marrying him in 2018. Their marriage, however, didn’t last: the two divorced in 2019.

Over time, both Cyrus and Schwarzenegger quietly built lives far removed from the tabloid storm that surrounded their relationship. Schwarzenegger is now married, and Cyrus — who has continued to reinvent herself musically and publicly — is engaged to Maxx Morado.

Still, their brief, friendly Golden Globes moment showed that whatever awkwardness once lingered has long since faded. For fans who remember every headline from that era, it was a reminder that some romances don’t need a dramatic “closure” interview — sometimes, time does the work.

And even if Miley Cyrus and Patrick Schwarzenegger only lasted five months, their relationship remains one of those pop-culture footnotes that still sparks conversation: short-lived, messy, memorable — and impossible to fully forget.