Billy Ray Cyrus’ ex-wife Firerose has accused him of “narcissistic abuse,” but her family has come forward to defend him to Page Six.
Country music star Cyrus, 64, is currently dating actress Elizabeth Hurley, 60, but he has been publicly accused of abuse by Firerose, 37, since they split in May 2024 after seven months of marriage.
She claimed that he isolated her from her loved ones while she was with the “Old Town Road” singer, but her parents, Stephen and Debbie, say that doesn’t include them.
“It’s important to set the record straight about the lie that Billy Ray took her away from her family. That’s not true,” Firerose’s father Stephen, who asked that his last name not be used to protect his privacy, told Page Six exclusively.
“Separating her from her family has nothing to do with Billy Ray,” Stephen said.
Firerose’s parents said the situation was the other way around and that they had not spoken to their daughter since 2020, when she “completely cut off all contact with us” and were desperate to reconcile.
According to court documents, Cyrus and Firerose’s brief marriage was marred by allegations of emotional abuse on both sides.
The Australian-born singer previously claimed to Page Six that she has endured “systemic segregation,” claiming that while she was married to the “Acey Breaky Heart” singer, friends and family were prohibited from visiting her. “If I had to send a text, I had to read it out to him for permission. It was the same with emails.”
Cyrus strongly denied these allegations in court documents and accused Firerose of verbal, emotional and physical abuse through her lawyer. Cyrus declined to comment for this story.
A representative for Firerose told Page Six that her statement about her isolation referred to her close friends, not her parents, adding: “She has not had contact with the individuals you mention (her parents) for over 10 years, long before her relationship with Mr. Cyrus began. As such, they do not have first-hand knowledge of her adult life or the relationship in question.”
The singer-songwriter, who legally changed her name from Joanna Rosie Hodges to Firerose, moved to Los Angeles at the age of 19 to pursue a career in showbiz. She said her parents helped pay for her trip to La La Land.
“She went to Los Angeles to become an actress. We, her parents, paid for her plane ticket to the planet, 18 months of drama school tuition, a car, and her living expenses for several years,” Stephen told Page Six.
Before dating Cyrus, Firerose struggled with addiction, leading to her arrest and 60 days in jail in July 2016, which she said helped her stay sober.
“I’ve had a really difficult and dark few years,” she told Page Six in July 2024.
“I was at what the recovery community calls rock bottom…I would have died in a matter of weeks if that were the case.”
Her parents claim they tried to support their daughter’s recovery.
“Before she cut ties with us, she had a history of cutting many other people out of her life over the years, and she told us that they had exploited her or victimized her in some way,” Debbie told Page Six.
After breaking up with her longtime partner Tish Cyrus, Firerose began dating Cyrus, the father of her six children, including singer Miley, around August 2022.
The two married on October 10, 2023 during an intimate garden ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee.
According to sources, the two released several songs together, including “Time” in 2022 and “After the Storm” in 2024, and even had big dreams of becoming “the next Sonny and Cher.”
Cyrus finalized her divorce from Firerose in August 2024, and the Australian singer walked away empty-handed, Page Six previously reported.
According to her parents, Firerose’s dream was always to become a star.
“Obviously her marriage to Billy Ray Cyrus brought her to the public eye,” Stephen said, noting that he and his wife, Debbie, only want what’s best for their daughter.
“She caused us so much pain by distancing herself from us, her loved ones,” Stephen added.
