Billy Ray Cyrus‘s involvement in the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special was already a sign that things between him and his daughter, Miley Cyrus, were better than they had reportedly been for the past few years. The two reportedly had a falling out after his divorce from Miley’s mom, Tish, but are said to be in better terms now. Or at least, that’s what we thought. Until he didn’t show up to the premiere of the special.
What happened? Rob Shuter is reporting that Miley informed his dad he was welcome at the premiere, but without his girlfriend, Elizabeth Hurley. “Miley wants a relationship with her dad,” one insider told the gossip columnist. “But her mom comes first. That’s not negotiable.”
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Reportedly, it wasn’t about the person, but the time and place. “She has nothing against Elizabeth,” the source explained. “But this wasn’t the moment for a blended-family debut.”
“This was her mom’s night. Her mom gave her all this,” the insider added. “And Miley was fiercely protective of that.”
Her dad didn’t agree. “He said, ‘If Elizabeth’s not invited, I’m not coming,’” the source explained. “For him, it was a package deal.” And he indeed skipped the premiere, despite being part of the anniversary special.
Billy Ray and Hurley met in 2022 on the set of Christmas in Paradise. They reportedly started dating in 2025, after Billy Ray and Tish divorced.
“He wasn’t going to separate his personal life to make anyone else comfortable,” the insider said. “He felt standing by Elizabeth mattered more.”
And if it was about making a stand, Miley made hers. With her mom. “Miley’s trying,” the source explained. “But rebuilding with her dad doesn’t mean rewriting her loyalty. Her mom is her priority — always.”
Will father and daughter ever find common ground again? “They’re communicating again,” the insider also said. “But healed? Not even close.”
Author Ashley Spencer’s new book, Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire, revealed that even though Billy Ray Cyrus was already famous when Hannah Montana started, he didn’t use his influence to help his daughter. “Miley being Billy Ray’s progeny hadn’t helped her get the part,” casting agent Catherine Stroud said in the book.
Miley Cyrus & Billy Ray Cyrus’ Relationship Amid Elizabeth Hurley Romance
Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire
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It was reportedly Tish, Miley’s mom, who “floated the idea” of Billy Ray playing Miley’s dad on the show.
“Wanting to keep the mother of their new star happy, the network agreed to humor the Cyruses and allowed Billy Ray to read,” Stroud said. The rest is, as they say, history.
However, Billy Ray later said that his being on the show “destroyed” his whole family. “I’d take it back in a second. For my family to be here and just everybody be OK, safe and sound and happy and normal would have been fantastic,” he told GQ in 2011. “Heck, yeah. I’d erase it all in a second if I could.”
Still, the two reunited to celebrate Hannah Montana’s legacy. Let’s see if they can now find a way to mend their real-life relationship.
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