Billy Ray Cyrus’ son Trace Cyrus shared a moving message to his father following the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer’s unusual performance at President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Billy Ray Cyrus’ loved ones are expressing their concerns.
In fact, after the 63-year-old’s performance during President Donald Trump’s inauguration caused chatter amongst fans, Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus’ son Trace Cyrus shared an impassioned message directed at his father.
“Since my earliest memories all I can remember is being obsessed with you and thinking you were the coolest person ever,” Trace—who was adopted by the musician as a child—began a Jan. 22 Instagram post. “I wanted to be just like you. The day you adopted me was the happiest day of my life. Sadly the man that I wanted so desperately to be just like I barely recognize now.”
And while the 35-year-old acknowledged Billy Ray may be “upset” with Trace for sharing this online, the Metro Station band member said he didn’t care.
“It seems this world has beaten you down and it’s become obvious to everyone but you,” Trace—who is older brother to Miley Cyrus, 32, as well as siblings Brandi, 37, Braison, 30, and Noah, 24—continued. “Me and the girls have been genuinely worried about you for years but you’ve pushed all of us away.”
“As I write this with tears in my eyes I hope you realize this message only comes from a place of love and also fear that the world may lose you far too soon,” Trace—who shared in the post he’s been sober from alcohol for a year and a half—added. “I don’t know what you’re struggling with exactly but I think I have a pretty good idea & I’d love to help you if you would open up and receive the help. You know how to reach me.”
He concluded on the post, which was accompanied by an older photo of a younger Trace shaking his dad’s hand onstage, “Till that day comes I will continue to pray for you.”
E! news reached out to Billy Ray's rep for comment but has not heard back.
Trace’s heartfelt plea to his father comes amid longtime rumors of a rift between the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer and his children following his split from Tish. (More recently, Billy Ray and now-estranged wife Firerose split in what has become a contentious divorce.)
And while fans were quick to notice Miley left out her dad’s name in her acceptance speech at the Grammys last year, the “Flowers” singer has also been candid about the good—and the ugly—she’s inherited from her dad.
“As I write this with tears in my eyes I hope you realize this message only comes from a place of love and also fear that the world may lose you far too soon,” Trace—who shared in the post he’s been sober from alcohol for a year and a half—added. “I don’t know what you’re struggling with exactly but I think I have a pretty good idea & I’d love to help you if you would open up and receive the help. You know how to reach me.”
He concluded on the post, which was accompanied by an older photo of a younger Trace shaking his dad’s hand onstage, “Till that day comes I will continue to pray for you.”
E! news reached out to Billy Ray's rep for comment but has not heard back.
Trace’s heartfelt plea to his father comes amid longtime rumors of a rift between the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer and his children following his split from Tish. (More recently, Billy Ray and now-estranged wife Firerose split in what has become a contentious divorce.)
And while fans were quick to notice Miley left out her dad’s name in her acceptance speech at the Grammys last year, the “Flowers” singer has also been candid about the good—and the ugly—she’s inherited from her dad.
“I have a terrible memory because I also inherited the narcissism from my father,” she joked to David Letterman in June, before quipping, “My father, I'm grateful for first his genes. My dad has great hair, and I got that. But he also—he has a relationship and a foot on the ground to the real and to nature, and he always did even when he was super famous.”
She continued, “I'm grateful for being able to watch him ahead of me. He's almost given me this map. And there is a map of what to do and what not to do, and he's guided me on both."
Miley also spoke to her dad’s difficult upbringing, acknowledging how it “obviously developed to create the man that he is now that I have a lot of love for."
For more on the Cyrus family tree, keep reading…
How the Cyrus Family Started
Billy Ray Cyrus married Tish Cyrus (née Leticia Finley) on Dec. 28, 2003.
At the time they already shared 12-month-old daughter Destiny Hope Cyrus—you may know her as Miley Cyrus—and Tish was pregnant with their son Braison Cyrus, who was born May 9, 1994.
Seven months before Miley was born on Nov. 23, 1992, Billy Ray's ex-girlfriend Kristin Luckey gave birth to their son Christopher Cody Cyrus on April 8.
When the "Achy Breaky Heart" singer married Tish, he adopted her daughter Brandi Cyrus (born May 26, 1987) and son Trace Cyrus (Feb. 24, 1989), whose biological father is their mom's ex-husband Baxter Helson.
Trish and Billy Ray's youngest, daughter Noah Cyrus, was born Jan. 8, 2000.
Father-Daughter Stardom
From 2006 to 2010, Billy Ray played the father of Miley's normal-kid-who-moonlights-as-a-pop-star character in the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana and a 2009 film adaptation.
While the Cyrus family was still based in Nashville, Billy Ray and Miley made the move to L.A. to jumpstart her own entertainment career.
Where There's Smoke…
Billy Ray and Tish announced in October 2010 that they were getting divorced, but by the following year were back together.
They filed for divorce again in June 2013 but reconsidered barely a month later, telling E! News at the time that they'd been to couple's counseling and it had done wonders for them.
But before they reconciled, when the news broke that her dad had made the first move in a Nashville court to end his marriage after 19 years, Miley tweeted, "@billyraycyrus since your text and email obviously aren't working would you like to talk like this?"
Miley Starts Over
After starring in 2010's The Last Song together and dating off and on for a decade, Miley and Liam Hemsworth married in December 2018, not long after their Malibu home burned down.
The decision came "from a place of trauma and just trying to rebuild as quickly as we could," Miley recalled on her "Used to Be Young" TikTok series.
But Liam filed for divorce in August 2019 and they finalized the paperwork in January 2020.
"It's honestly very simple," a source told E! at the time. "They fell in love when they were young and they are just different people now."
The Family Tree Keeps Growing
Braison and his wife Stella Cyrus welcomed son Bear Chance Cyrus on June 8.
Billy Ray and Tish Split Up for Good
Tish filed for divorce fo a third time in April 2022, and this time it stuck.
Moreover, her petition citing "irreconcilable differences" noted that she and her husband of almost 30 years hadn't lived together since February 2020.
"It is after 30 years, five amazing children and a lifetime of memories, we have decided to go our separate ways—not with sadness, but with love in our hearts," Tish and Billy Ray told People in a statement. "We have grown up together, raised a family we can be so proud of, and it is now time to create our own paths."
The exes noted that they hadn't come to the decision to split up for good "lightly or quickly," adding, "We will always be family and look forward to a continued and loving shared experience as friends and parents."
Billy Ray Cyrus Moves on With Firerose
Billy Ray quietly got engaged to Australian singer Firerose, who's 27 years his junior, in August 2022 but waited to confirm the news until that November.
"Growing up in Australia, my love of music was predominant over everything," Firerose told People. "I've known his music since forever."
What started as a friendship turned into more during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"All of the sudden, the life that I've always known as a touring artist didn't exist anymore," Billy Ray said. "A moment of so much change. And at the same time, Firerose, who had been such a light of positivity, such a best friend. And then when we began sharing the music, it just evolved more into, as musical soulmates, to soulmates, happy, pure love that to me, I didn't know could exist."
Tish Cyrus Finds Love With Dominic Purcell
Around the time her ex-husband confirmed his engagment in November 2022, Tish went Instagram-official with Prison Break actor Dominic Purcell.
They got engaged in April 2023 and tied the knot that August in Malibu at sunset with Miley, Trace and Brandi all standing by their mom's side.
"Life is unpredictable & always full of changes," Trace captioned a photo of himself and two of his sibling with the bride. "I think the most important thing to do is cherish the past, look forward to the future, & always be happy in the present moment because that’s really all we have."
Miley Weighs in on Her Mom's Love Life
"To see my mom this happy and in love is very emotional for me," Miley told Vogue ahead of her mom's wedding. "Dom and my mom share the sweetest, most genuine love. It's almost like it's for the first time, which is so fitting for my mom who is such a young soul."
As for her dad's next chapter, however, a source close to Miley told E! News in October 2022 that she wasn't in love with it and didn't have a relationship with her future stepmom.
"The divorce between her parents put a strain on her relationship with her dad and it's been hard to connect with him in the last year," the source said. "She hopes they can eventually work on their relationship."
Billy Ray told People that November, however, that his family had "no hard feelings" about his engagement.
"Everybody's turning the page," he said. "It's been a lot, but everyone knew that it was time for a change."
He and Firerose got married on Oct. 10, 2023, calling it the "beautiful, joyous day that our two souls united as one in holy matrimony."
Only Some of Miley's Family Get Their Flowers
Whatever rift opened up between Miley and her dad apparently hadn't been repaired by the night of the 2024 Grammys on Feb. 4.
Tish and Brandi were there, as was Miley's boyfriend Maxx Morando, and they all got shout-outs when the "Flowers" singer won Record of the Year.
As Miley concluded her speech, "I don't think I forgot anyone."
Wait, What?
None of the three officially confirmed or denied eyebrow-raising reports that Noah was involved with Dominic before her mother was, but the Grammy-nominated singer had some choice words for an Instagram commenter in April 2024 after the person crudely suggested that Noah and Tish both had "sexy time" with the actor.
"I'm so sorry but will you pleeeeeass just choke on the fattest c–k," Noah wrote in response. "Just for a lil bit. Great thanks."
Billy Ray Cyrus Moves on From Firerose
Barely eight months after they tied the knot, Billy Ray filed to annul the union, alleging in court documents the marriage was "obtained by fraud."
He listed May 22, 2024, as their date of separation.
However, Billy Ray amended his plan and filed for divorce, which was settled that August.
"This has been absolutely the most crazy insane scam I have ever heard of," Billy Ray said in a statement to E! News. "Let alone the fact I'm right in the center and basically the target of the scheme. It's unfortunate it played out this way."
Trace Cyrus' Public Plea to Dad Billy Ray Cyrus
“Since my earliest memories all I can remember is being obsessed with you and thinking you were the coolest person ever," Trace began a Jan. 22, 2025, Instagram post directed at his father. "I wanted to be just like you. The day you adopted me was the happiest day of my life. Sadly the man that I wanted so desperately to be just like I barely recognize now."
Referring to his sisters, he continued, "Me and the girls have been genuinely worried about you for years but you’ve pushed all of us away."
Noah was especially hurt, according to Trace.
"Noah desperately has wanted you to be a part of her life and you haven't even been there for her," he wrote. "That’s your baby girl. She deserves better. Somehow just like me she still idolizes you though. We are all hanging on to memories of the man we once knew & hoping for the day he returns."
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