Photo illustration: The Cut, Photo: Getty Images
The rift in the Cyrus family is only getting worse, but at least Miley Cyrus is ready to address the elephant in the room: her father, Billy Ray, is divorcing her mother, Tish, for the third time in 2022. In an interview with David Letterman for his Netflix show, Our next guest needs no introduction., Reports peopleIn it, the former Disney star opened up about her current relationship with her country music father. When Billy Ray married a woman named Firerose last year, Miley wasn't there for the wedding (though, in retrospect, that was a calculated move: Billy Ray filed for divorce last month). And when she won Record of the Year at the Grammys in February, the “Flowers” singer didn't thank her dad in her acceptance speech. But as of this interview, things seem to have improved somewhat.
During the episode, Letterman asked Miley directly, “You and your dad don't have a falling out. You just get treated that way?” “Yeah,” Miley replied. “I think it's so amazing what my parents did for their kids. They were dedicated to us and sacrificed so much for us. Anything we ever dreamed of, they made it happen for us.”
Well, maybe that's not a roundabout answer, but Miley didn't take the invitation to bash Billy Ray, at least not directly. Later in the interview, Letterman asked Miley if her dad is her hero, to which she quickly replied, “Honestly, my hero is my mom.”
“I'm happy to be able to watch [Billy Ray] “My dad kind of gave me a map, a map of what to do and what not to do, and he guided me through both,” she continued, adding, “I inherited my narcissism from my dad, too.” Someone take a pulse on Billy Ray's aching, breaking heart!
Sarcasm aside, Miley made it clear in this interview that she prefers her mom as a role model, while also showing tolerance for her dad after years of highly tabloid-heavy family feuds (including rumors of theft by both mother and daughter's husbands). If I were Billy Ray, I'd take this as a win for now.
