- Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus wed in 1993 and welcomed five children together
- The couple divorced after 30 years in 2022 — but ahead of their split, they had previously filed for divorce twice and called it off
- Both Billy Ray and Tish are now engaged to other people, with Dominic Purcell proposing to Tish in April 2023
Miley Cyrus, 30, is one of the most celebrated names in music, and fans may also be somewhat familiar with her parents, Billy Ray Cyrus, 61, and Tish Cyrus, 55. The “Edge of Midnight” singer has grown up in the spotlight under her rock star dad and with her producer/actress mom, but contrary to many famous families, they’ve seemed to have weathered the storms that often come with that journey. Although Miley has had her share of challenges with her parents, the Cyrus family remains a solid unit, with the pop star growing closer with Billy Ray and Tish over the years.
Read more below about Miley’s loving parents Tish and Billy Ray and discover more details about their loving family below!
Miley’s Mother Leticia Jean “Tish” Cyrus
Miley’s mom Tish was born Leticia Jean Finely May 15, 1967 in Nashville, Tennessee. Before marrying Billy Ray, the actress and producer was actually wed to another man, Baxtor Helson, and the two share two children together, Trace and Brandi. When Tish married Billy Ray, he ended up adopting the children as his own.
Before Tish and Billy Ray met, he had a fling with a South Carolina waitress, Kristen Luckey, and she became pregnant. Shortly thereafter, Tish and Billy Ray became smitten and Tish got pregnant with Miley (who was originally named Destiny Hope). Both women were pregnant at the same time which caused some controversy, but Billy Ray ultimately stuck with Tish as his partner. She became pregnant with their second child, Miley’s younger brother Braison Cyrus, and the two tied the knot in 1993. The couple also welcomed their third child together, Noah Cyrus, in 2000.
Tish and her now ex husband have had their fair share of challenges over the years as a couple, both filing for divorce for “irreconcilable differences” once in 2010 and then again in 2013. Ultimately, the couple chose to stay together for the next nine years before their eventual divorce in 2022. “I do think that marriage is hard work,” Tish told Bravo in 2017. “And I think a lot of people, when you go through struggles and difficult times, that people throw in the towel a little too easy. And I think that any relationship — whether it’s marriage or family, it doesn’t matter — it’s you truly do have to take care of it and nurture and really work hard at relationships.”
In 2022, Tish was the one who filed for divorce and cited “irreconcilable differences” and requested the court to split their existing assets. She also confirmed the break-up in. a joint statement with Billy Ray. “It is after 30 years, five amazing children and a lifetime of memories, we have decided to go our separate ways — not with sadness, but with love in our hearts,” they said.
“We have grown up together, raised a family we can be so proud of, and it is now time to create our own paths. We will always be family and look forward to a continued and loving shared experience as friends and parents,” the exes went on. “We have not come to this decision lightly or quickly but with so much going on in the world, we wanted to provide some clarity and closure, so we can remain focused on what is important. With Love and Hope… Tish and Billy Ray Cyrus,” they signed off.
By July 2022, Tish was off the market again and began dating Prison Break star Dominic Purcell, 53 (who was also previously married). Eagle eyed fans noticed she commented “hi babe” that same month on one of his Instagram photos, and the pair later rang in the New Year together in Miami. After a relatively low key and short courtship, Dominic proposed in April 2023! Tish confirmed the engagement via Instagram, writing, “A thousand times…. YES.”
Miley’s Father Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray was born August 25, 1961 in Flatwoods, Kentucky. Before Miley became a household name, her father was a rock star in his own right, becoming famous with his breakout hit “Achy Breaky Heart” in 1992. Miley grew up in the shadow of her father, but her fame ultimately superseded his when she began starring as Hannah Montana on the eponymous Disney show in 2006. Billy Ray also joined the show to play her dad and remained in that role for four seasons until the show ended its run in 2011. Things turned somewhat sour as Miley began to grow out of her teen idol stage and became embroiled in a series of scandals, including an infamous incident in 2010 when she was caught getting high on the psychedelic herb salvia.
“The damn show destroyed my family,” Billy Ray told GQ magazine in 2011. “I’d take it back in a second. For my family to be here and just everybody be okay, safe and sound and happy and normal would have been fantastic. Heck, yeah. I’d erase it all in a second if I could.” Although Billy Ray and his daughter hit a rough patch due to her sudden wild streak behavior, they ultimately healed things as time went on, and, as Miley expressed to Rolling Stone in 2013, had “a different relationship.”
Later on CNN, Billy Ray explained to Piers Morgan how he understood his daughter and loved her at the end of the day. “She’s just Miley,” he said in 2013. “She’s an artist. She’s real. I think that what’s happened over the years, Miley has been reinventing her sound. She’s evolving as an artist herself. I think that all of what everyone is calling controversy now, that’s still my Miley.”
Since his 2022 divorce from Miley’s mom Tish after 30 years, the singer moved on with Firerose, 34. He confirmed he was engaged to the Australian singer in Nov. 2022 as she showed off her diamond engagement ring. . “Billy looked at me and said, ‘Do you, do you wanna marry me?’ And I was just like, ‘Of course I do. I love you,’ ” Firerose told People. “He said, ‘I love you. I wanna make this official. I wanna be with you forever.’ ”