Inside Billy Ray Cyrus' Relationship With Firerose

Billy Ray Cyrus has had a long career in show business that has spanned three decades. The Flatwoods, Kentucky native had skyrocketed to fame back in 1992 with his catchy single, "Achy Breaky Heart" and from there went on to become a full-blown country music superstar. He even transitioned into acting in movies like "Christmas in Canaan." All the while, he managed to stay relevant later in his career by partnering with up-and-coming artists like Lil Nas X, on their 2019 smash hit, "Old Town Road." 

Billy Ray has often been pretty open with what's going on in his personal life, especially since his entire family is part of the entertainment industry. Of course, one of his daughters is the super famous, Miley Cyrus, with whom he starred on the Disney show, "Hannah Montana." That's probably why fans want to know how he went from being married to Miley's mom, Tish Cyrus, for almost 30 years to getting engaged to a somewhat unknown Australian singer known as Firerose. 

By all accounts, Billy Ray doesn't mind sharing about that either, telling People that their creative kinship blossomed into romance. "It just evolved more into [us] as musical soulmates, to soulmates. [A] happy, pure love that to me, I didn't know could exist." So how did the couple arrive to this happy, pure love place and how do the rest of the Cyrus family feel? Let's break down Billy Ray Cyrus' relationship with Firerose from the beginning.

Billy Ray Cyrus fans may just be getting to know Firerose, but the country singer actually met her over a decade earlier on the set of his and his daughter's Disney show, "Hannah Montana." Cyrus told People that he had been hanging outside the studio lot with his dog when Firerose walked out from an audition. He recalled, "There was almost a moment of, I don't know, recognition. I was like, 'This girl's a star.'"

Because of that feeling, the two got to talking and Cyrus decided to help the young Firerose since she didn't book that job. "I just thought, well, the casting agents, the producers, the writers, they're all on the floor of where we do 'Hannah Montana,'" he said. Cyrus reassured her that she was in safe hands, invited her on to the set, and introduced her to a producer. 

That idea appeared to have worked out well since it led to Firerose networking and built the beginnings of their relationship. Cyrus explained, "I think she met a lot of the cast and met the producers, writers. And, in some ways, well, in a lot of ways, we became friends." On "Live With Kelly and Ryan," Firerose reiterated how the two maintained a tight friendship from then on, particularly because Cyrus continued to encourage her career. "He's just really believed in me and continued to tell me to pursue my dreams no matter what and not give up," she dished. 

Despite their apparent 27-year age gap, Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose definitely share music in common. They both even realized that it was their passion during childhood, with the Australian musician recalling to The Tennessee Star, "I would get home from school and write a song about my day." Cyrus told Risen Magazine about his early experiences too, saying, "When I was a kid, I would get up and sing with my dad's Gospel quartet and I loved singing." They both also taught themselves how to play instruments, with Firerose learning the piano. "I didn't know the names of the chords but I felt it and I played by ear," she said. Cyrus did pretty much the same with the guitar, dishing, "[I] bought a left-handed guitar, and the moment I picked it up I realized that I actually could play."

Most importantly, the couple shares a love for how music makes them feel. While Firerose told The Tennessee Star that she used music to connect to others — creating sounds that made the listener feel how she does about the music, Cyrus told Risen that his musical urges felt similarly instinctual. "I've just always loved making music for the pure passion of making music," he explained. As Cyrus tells it, his fiancee has what it takes to enjoy the same success he has. He gushed to American Songwriter, "Firerose is the very definition of persistence, combined with a tremendous amount of talent as a songsmith, vocalist, and producer."

Firerose isn't just Billy Ray Cyrus' fiancee, she's also one of his fans. When they first met on the set of "Hannah Montana," she already knew who he was. "I've known his music since forever," she told People. However, as the two grew closer, he became much more than a celebrity to her. According to People, she once said of the country star, "[He's a] longtime pal and mentor."

That apparently didn't make performing with Cyrus any less exciting for Firerose though. In July 2022, she shared her elation about performing at the Grand Ole Opry with hin on Instagram, writing, "Such a thrill playing for an electric packed house and an honor to be sharing the sacred circle again with [Billy Ray Cyrus]." As she told The Tennessee Star, performing at the iconic venue was a special experience. "It's been a dream of mine ever since I can remember," she noted. However, that doesn't mean the "No Holding Fire" singer doesn't have other musical idols, as she's cited Elvis and Shania Twain as inspirations. Yet it seems Firerose looks up to Sia the most, with her telling Authority Magazine, "Her music has been a driving force for me."

As for Cyrus, he appears to be a fan of Firerose in return. When asked by iHeartRadio why he wanted to collaborate with her in the first place, he dished, "Her talent. I mean she's just really talented. She's a great songwriter."

It appears that both Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose had helped each other get through some difficult times. For Billy Ray, that was his divorce from his wife of 28 years, Tish Cyrus. The two had split twice before but apparently decided to end their rocky relationship for good in April 2022, explaining in a joint statement published by ET, "We have decided to go our separate ways — not with sadness, but with love in our hearts." However, Billy Ray later hinted to People that the divorce was harder than they'd made it sound. When it came to moving on, he dished, "[It] took a lot of prayer. A lot."

Of course, Cyrus did move on with Firerose, who had been there for him during his breakup. She told People, "Billy confided in me a lot of what was going on in his life." She continued, "I was just the best friend I could possibly be, supporting him." Later, she apparently also helped him get through his mother's death too. He shared with the outlet, "Having somebody to ride it out with now — that's giving me a little more balance."

By all accounts, he seemed to be just as supportive of Firerose through her own hardships. As the performer told Authority Magazine, the couple wrote their song, "New Day," to help pull her out of a dark time. While she didn't elaborate on why that was, it seems they both made it through that challenging time together.

The COVID-19 pandemic seemingly played a significant role in Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose becoming more than just friends, especially since the "Radical Jack" star admitted he leaned on her to get through it. He reflected to People, "There was sickness and death, and hard times. All of the sudden, the life that I've always known as a touring artist didn't exist anymore." Luckily, he found solace in Firerose. "[She] had been such a light of positivity, such a best friend. And then when we began sharing the music," he explained.

According to American Songwriter, the two had shared that music over Zoom since collaborating in person probably wasn't an option. From the looks of their "New Day" music video, they may have spent time video chatting too because it includes frames from a FaceTime conversation. Ironically, Billy Ray's daughter, Miley Cyrus, revealed on Instagram Live (via Daily Mail) that her dad was pretty unfamiliar with the technology, stating, "My grandma knows how to FaceTime and he doesn't."

However, Billy Ray and his fiancee's bond grew when they were able to hang out in person. Firerose explained to People, "We were spending every moment of every day together." By the summer of 2022, she'd moved to his Tennessee farm so she could help him take care of his ailing mother, Ruthie. Prior to her death, Firerose revealed that the two had grown close, and Billy Ray's mom had welcomed her to the family. 

Between their age gap and celebrity status, it's obvious that Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose don't have an average relationship. So it's hardly surprising that their engagement was unconventional too. That's because Cyrus seemingly just flat-out asked Firerose to marry him without even having a ring. The Australian singer recalled to People, "Billy looked at me and said, 'Do you wanna marry me?' And I was just like, 'Of course I do. I love you.'" While the "Busy Man" singer didn't get down on one knee either, Firerose knew he was serious, adding, "He said, 'I love you. I wanna make this official. I wanna be with you forever.'"

That proposal happened in August 2022 but the couple didn't officially confirm their engagement until November. Still, Firerose didn't exactly try to hide her engagement ring on Instagram, even if they were waiting to share the news. In fact, it was a post of the songwriter wearing the rock that started the engagement rumors back in September, with fans congratulating them in the comments. 

While the couple later posted a closer photo of the ring that October, they still didn't technically affirm that they were betrothed, writing in the caption, "Happy Autumn." Nevertheless, that ring got people's attention. Speaking to Page Six, engagement ring expert, Zack Stone, estimated that the ring looked to feature a 5-carat round diamond and was estimated to be worth up to $220 thousand.

If one thing is for sure it's that Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose aren't hiding their love since they frequently post about each other on Instagram. They've been doing it for a while too. Firerose's first Instagram post featuring her beau appeared to be in July 2021, when she shared a clip of them appearing on Australia's "Today" show. Between then and the couple's engagement announcement, she continued to feature him in almost every post she made. At first, it seemed to be mostly to promote their song, "New Day."

However, it wasn't until a year later when Firerose shared two photos of her and Cyrus posing together arm-in-arm that they sparked romance rumors. In the comments, fans began asking if the two were dating. Firerose seemingly responded with an August 2022 birthday tribute to Cyrus, in which she shared a selfie of them both together with the caption, "The world is a better place with you in it" alongside a heart emoji. 

Firerose's presence seems to be a big change to Cyrus' Instagram grid too, which had previously consisted mostly of photos relating to his music or posts paying tribute to his late mother and his love for the rest of the Cyrus family. As of 2022, there were suddenly endless snaps celebrating his new relationship. From pouting selfies to videos of the couple running around what looks to be their farm, it was clear that Firerose had made a huge impact.

Billy Ray Cyrus may have found happiness with his fiancee, Firerose, but Miley Cyrus is allegedly not fond of the relationship. A source revealed to The Sun, "Not everyone sees his decision to move on so quickly in the same light ...There has been some tension with Miley." That may be due to speculation that Billy Ray began dating Firerose when he was still married to Miley's mother, Tish Cyrus. However, a source told People, "He and Tish were over before he started dating her."

An insider told E! News that it may have ultimately been Billy Ray and Tish's divorce which damaged his relationship with the "Wrecking Ball" singer as she grew closer to her mother. After that, Miley and her dad allegedly became estranged and even unfollowed each other on social media. Billy Ray acknowledged to People that his divorce and subsequent relationship with Firerose may have been difficult on his kids. However, he defended himself by insisting, "Everyone knew ... that relationship was over a long time ago ... It's been a lot, but everyone knew that it was time for a change."

While Miley didn't publicly congratulate her dad on his engagement, there's hope they'll reconcile. A source told E! News, "​​She, of course, hopes he is happy ... [and] hopes they can eventually work on their relationship." As for the rest of the family, another source told The Sun, "His other kids do not ­have an issue with him." 

Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose don't just write songs together, they perform them too. As of November 2022, they had released two singles, the first of which was "New Day," which they worked on during the pandemic. "It is a song of hope for a new day for any single human who is searching, reaching, and praying," Firerose told The Tennessee Star. The couple released its music video in July 2021 and from there promoted it together, giving interviews and performing it on TV and in concert.

It's clear that the couple enjoyed working together because they released another song in November 2022 called "Time," which was seemingly more reflective of their relationship. Cyrus dished to People about what inspired it, musing, "At this spot in my life, knowing that all you really have is the happiness that you feel inside your mind and your heart." From the looks of the song's music video, he and Firerose are very happy because it shows them simply enjoying their life together.

The pair apparently have plans to put out more music as a duo too. On Instagram, they shared a photo of them working on new material, with the caption, "Amazing day in the studio. Can't wait to release this new music." Firerose also teased to Authority Magazine that one of their new collaborations was to be featured in a big upcoming movie. Between their music and their wedding, the couple certainly has an exciting future ahead.