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What is the reason behind Miley Cyrus's estrangement from father Billy Ray?

Updated

The singer's mother, Tish, revealed this week that their divorce pushed her to a 'psychological breakdown'

Billy Ray, Miley and Tish Cyrus, pictured together in February 2019.
Billy Ray, Miley and Tish Cyrus, pictured together in February 2019.SHUTTERSTOCK

After 17 years in showbiz, Miley Cyrus (31) finally triumphed at the Grammys. Last Sunday, the American Recording Academy awarded two gramophones to the former Disney star, who has taken the charts by storm with Flowers, one of the most-played singles of 2023. In fact, the song is on the verge of hitting 2 billion streams on Spotify.

According to Cyrus, Flowers — based on Bruno Mars' When I Was Your Man and dedicated to her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth — has brought her a great deal of joy. Still, in her words, the love of her fans is her greatest gift and the support of her family is a blessing. "I want to thank everyone who is with me," she said in one of her Grammy speeches.

"Thanks to my team, my mom, my sister, my boyfriend, my dear gays... Look how good I look! Who else? To all the people we love. I don't think I forgot anyone... But maybe I forgot to wear underwear," Cyrus joked, bringing laughter to the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. But yes, she did forget someone.

Miley didn't mention Billy Ray Cyrus, her father, with whom she used to share a close and great relationship. And although the singer hasn't spoken about their estrangement, her fans noticed that she and her father began to drift apart in 2022 when he and the singer's mother, Tish Cyrus, decided to divorce after 30 years of marriage.

According to Tish, their separation was a real nightmare that almost led her to check into a psychiatric facility. "It was all crazy because I always feared being alone. And the divorce caused a complete psychological breakdown. It was the worst, honestly. I even called a psychiatrist to ask them to please admit me because I thought it was the best thing," she said this week on the Call Her Daddy podcast.

During that time, Miley stood firmly by her mother's side, and according to some tabloids, she cut her father out of her life to help Tish. Moreover, Cyrus reportedly banned Billy Ray from her social media in August 2022. Between that date and mid-last year, father and daughter allegedly maintained a distant but cordial relationship. But that sympathy may have ended when Billy Ray married another woman.

In October 2023, Miley's father tied the knot with Australian musician Firerose, who is younger than Miley herself. The singer was not present. According to media outlets, Miley has no relationship with her new stepmother and no intention of getting to know her. But she gets along famously with actor Dominic Purcell, whom her mother married six months ago.