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Miley Cyrus revealed in a new interview that she “gets so cringed out” when referring to Maxx Morando as her fiancéShe also shared why the pair’s engagement came at the “perfect time” in her lifePEOPLE confirmed the engagement in December 2025
Miley Cyrus is still getting used to her new relationship status with Maxx Morando.
While speaking with Entertainment Tonight at the Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards on Saturday, Jan. 3, the “Flowers” singer, 33, revealed that “gets so cringed out” referring to Morando, 27, as her fiancé.
“I’m kind of dorkiest with stuff like that,” she added.
Miley went on to share how the couple’s engagement came at the “perfect time” in her life, connecting it to her work on the film Avatar: Fire and Ash, whose soundtrack features her song “Dream as One.”
“But for me, getting to be involved in this at this time, because that’s really what James makes the pillar of his films, is relationships, no matter what they look like,” she explained, referring to Avatar: Fire and Ash’s director, James Cameron.
Maxx Morando and Miley Cyrus at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
Francis Specker/CBS via Getty
“So to be able to show up joyful and experience love in my own way is just perfectly aligned,” Miley continued. “It just fell into my life at the perfect time. I feel like I’m in a good place to support the message of what this film’s about.”
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Miley also spoke briefly about her older sister Brandi Cyrus‘ recent engagement to Matt Southcombe, which Brandi, 38, announced on Instagram on Dec. 26.
“We’re all like, just grounding it down,” she said, adding of her family, “I think it’s because we all just — we really are cozy, down-to-earth people that … we’re all performers, so when it’s at home, we want no performers. We want to keep it real.”
PEOPLE confirmed on Dec. 2 that Miley and Morando, a drummer for the band Liily, had gotten engaged after four years of dating. The news came after the Hannah Montana alum stepped out to the Avatar: Fire and Ash world premiere in Los Angeles on Dec. 1, wearing a diamond ring on her left-hand ring finger.
Maxx Morando and Miley Cyrus at the ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ premiere in L.A. on Dec. 1, 2025; Miley Cyrus’ engagement ring.
Kevin Winter/WireImage; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Speaking with PEOPLE while promoting the sci-fi movie on Dec. 2, Miley shared what has “astounded” her about getting engaged to Morando.
“The detail that I can share is that for us, our privacy and us kind of keeping it small has been something that I’ve been astounded that I’ve actually been able to have and being able to kind of have more choice,” she said.
She added: “I think it’s also being older, being more protective of what I’m open to sharing.”
Days later, on Dec. 4, Miley discussed her engagement during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! — and joked that she “really got engaged” to the musician to help with her unusual “phobia” of paper.
“Christmas, I’m known as a little bit of a Grinch because I have a qualm with Christmas. I hate paper,” she explained to host Jimmy Kimmel. “The real problem for me with paper is when people have dry hands and they touch paper and then it’s Christmas and it’s cold and everyone’s hands are dry and they’re all touching paper.”
“It’s getting worse and so there does need to be some sort of intervention, and I am gonna look into some sort of EMDR, being hypnotized about it because it is affecting my everyday life,” Miley continued, before sharing how Morando helps her.
“Someone gets an Amazon box, I’m sick, because the cardboard is the worst of it all. It’s extra dry and there’s packaging within it,” she said. “That’s the best part, that’s really why I got engaged because I just make my fiancé open all the packages outside.”