Miley Cyrus Estrangement Explained: The Real Story Behind Her Rift with Billy Ray
A murmur of moonlight and memory weaves through the tale of the pop star and her country-crooning dad, revealing a rift that once echoed louder than any music video. In a candid conversation with BuzzFeed, Miley Cyrus opened the curtain on the reasons she and Billy Ray Cyrus drifted into silence, tracing their estrangement back to her fearless self-reinvention during the Bangerz era. She confessed that her boundary-pushing image, public romance headlines, and late-night celebrations felt like a language her father couldn’t always translate.
Miley’s recollection reads like an epic poem of independence: she was finding her voice, twerking into new territory and embracing roles that made Billy Ray uncomfortable. Sources at People Magazine note that in 2013, during the release of “We Can’t Stop,” her father publicly called her choices “a bit much,” leading to a quiet withdrawal from family gatherings. She recalls in Rolling Stone that she felt “misunderstood,” craving both validation and room to breathe.
That stretching of identity reached a crescendo when Miley spent months overseas filming Black Mirror in 2019, where distance became both literal and symbolic. E! Online reported that phone calls dwindled to texts, and shared studio sessions vanished. Rumors swirled that Billy Ray was worried she’d lost her way; Miley counters now that she was simply learning to stand alone. In her BuzzFeed interview, she reflects, “I had to show myself respect before anyone else could.”
Their path back toward harmony began at the 2020 MTV VMAs, when Billy Ray surprised fans—and his daughter—by popping in on her “Midnight Sky” performance. Vogue confirms their tearful embrace was unscripted, proof that their bond still had notes left to play. Since then, father and daughter have appeared together on social media, joking in Instagram Lives and collaborating on charity singles.
Through rose-tinted nostalgia, Miley praises her dad’s steadfast support: “He’s the one who taught me to sing, to stand tall, to love fiercely,” she tells BuzzFeed. Billy Ray, in turn, has praised her resilience and artistry in press conferences this year, admitting he underestimated her evolution. Their story, embroidered with missteps and forgiveness, stands as a testament to the delicate harmony between personal growth and family loyalty.
And thus, the melody of estrangement resolves into a softer refrain of mutual respect—yet the encore remains unwritten. Will Miley and Billy Ray strike a new chord together in the studio? Only time will tell.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and BuzzFeed
People Magazine
Rolling Stone
E! Online
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
