Miley Cyrus Reacts to Dad Billy Ray’s Romance with Elizabeth Hurley

Miley Cyrus has broken her silence on her father Billy Ray Cyrus’ shock new romance with Elizabeth Hurley, saying it has enabled her to love both her parents ‘as individuals’ and that seeing them happy has helped her finally ‘grow up’.

‘As I’ve gotten older, I respect my parents as individuals instead of as parents because, you know, my mom really loved my dad for her whole life,’ said the pop icon, 32, who debuted her new single Easy Lover on Thursday. ‘I took on some of my mom’s hurt as my own, because it hurt her more than it hurt me as an adult. So I owned a lot of her pain as mine.’

Speaking candidly on The Interview, a New York Times podcast, she added: ‘But now that my mom is so in love with my stepdad, Dom, who I completely adore, and now that I see my dad finding happiness outside of that too, I can love them both as individuals instead of as a kind of parental pairing. I’m being an adult about it.’

Miley’s mom Tish, 58, split from country singer Billy Ray in 2022 after 28 years of marriage, and their divorce was finalized in 2023. She married Prison Break star Dominic Purcell in August the same year.

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Miley Cyrus, 32, has broken her silence on dad Billy Ray’s new high profile romance;  Pictured in Beverly Hills in April 2023 

‘At first, it’s hard,’ Miley added of her dad’s new romance, ‘because 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. So my adult self has caught up. My child self has caught up.’

Billy Ray, 63, was first linked to actress Elizabeth, 59, in April this year, following the end of his short-lived marriage to 36-year-old singer Firerose. The pair reportedly bonded over their shared love of horses and rural life, with a source saying at the time: ‘It’s early days but they’ve genuinely hit it off.’

Reflecting on the relentless scrutiny surrounding her famous family and why today’s media cycle makes those moments easier to weather – Miley continued: ‘The thing I like about the new way that the world works is that everything is so fast, it’s forgotten really quickly. In the Nineties when something happened… it would just last for a year. Now it’s just gone.

‘Social media moves so fast. It just eats everything. Something may seem really important for a couple hours but then there’s a meme that goes viral – somebody scats at Walmart or something – and that becomes the next thing.’

But while she’s learned to live with the headlines about her own antics, she admits it’s her family – some of whom have chosen to stay out of the spotlight – that she worries about most.

‘It can be embarrassing… not so much for me,’ she said. ‘I try to just be more compassionate to my parents because I hate that for them. And I mostly hate it for my siblings that have chosen not to be in this industry, because they didn’t choose that kind of highlight on themselves.’

Miley shares musician Trace, 36 and DJ Brandi 38, with her mum Tish, while singer Braison, 31, and pop star Noah, 25, are the offspring of both Tish and Billy Ray. Miley also has a brother Chris, 33, who is the biological son of Billy Ray.

‘I’ve gotten so used to it,’ Miley added. ‘I’m like, if the symptom of this is that sometimes we deal with these embarrassing [stories] or difficult public opinions, then that’s something I’m willing to take to have the life that we have. But it doesn’t make it any easier.’

Billy Ray Cyrus, 63, and Elizabeth Hurley, 59, went Instagram official with their new romance on Easter day

Miley told The NYT podcast The Interview the shock new romance has enabled her to love both her parents ‘as individuals’ and that seeing them happy has helped her finally ‘grow up’;  Pictured in Rome on May 24

The singer said ‘At first, it’s hard, because 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 continued: ‘Mostly what makes me sad about it is for them. I feel pretty strong. I’ve taken so much on the chin. I’ve stayed strong without ever getting too callous. I’m pretty open and vulnerable for how much I’ve been through. But no one likes to wake up to that stuff. So it sucks. But it’s worth it.’

Miley also opened up about her father’s difficult upbringing in Kentucky – and how it has shaped her understanding of his struggles as an adult, particularly when it comes to sobriety.

‘My dad grew up in severe poverty – you know, not always having indoor bathrooms. No doctor’s appointments, rarely the dentist,’ she said. ‘I spent most of my life in LA, in a safe neighborhood. I just can’t even compare our upbringings in any way, shape, or form.’

Miley has been sober for five years, giving up alcohol and before that, marijuana in 2017.

Miley’s parents Tish, 58, and Billy Ray announced their split in 2022, and finalized their divorce in 2023;  Pictured in Los Angeles in February 2019

‘I took on some of my mom’s hurt as my own, because it hurt her more than it hurt me as an adult. So I owned a lot of her pain as mine,’ the Grammy winner said of the split

Tish tied the knot with Prison Break star Dominic Purcell in August 2023. Miley said she adores new stepfather and their happiness has helped her come to terms with Billy Ray’s 

When asked about Billy Ray’s history with addiction – and whether they’ve ever spoken about it – she said: ‘I think he has a bit of a harder time completely enjoying being sober. I kind of enjoy it,’ she said. ‘My dad always calls it a “good bad habit”. Things that make you feel good, but they’re bad.’

‘We don’t avoid it, but it’s not really something that’s our table talk. I think me and my dad like to talk about music and movies. It’s not something that’s ever been our focus, but probably should be. We probably should talk about that at some point.’

The pair have reconnected in recent months, she added. ‘Timing is everything,’ she said. ‘There’s been enough bridges now of time to get us all reconnected.’

Miley said she and her father have reconnected in recent months. ‘Timing is everything,’ she said. ‘There’s been enough bridges now of time to get us all reconnected’

When asked about how her global stardom – eclipsing Billy Ray’s own success – has impacted their relationship, Miley explained: ‘That has added a level of complexity within my family for sure.’

‘I think it would be hard for anybody with a dream to see somebody else achieving theirs in a way that you see for yourself.

‘But I do think love conquered all in a sense that he can still find the pride in me, but I think it would be delusional for any of us to think that that doesn’t add a level of complication to our already complicated dynamic.

‘So at times in my life, I’ve felt that guilt and shame was a driver for me. Like, I had a hard time accepting that I could suffer because of how blessed I am. I don’t think it’s actually really played too much of a part between me and my dad because I have to have the faith that, like any dad, he would want this for me.’