Miley Cyrus Speaks On 'Estrangement' From Dad Billy Ray Amid His Third Divorce

Miley Cyrus opened up about her complex relationship with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, during an appearance on a talk show.

The singer highlighted his influence on her, both positive and negative, acknowledging that she had inherited some traits from her dad.

Miley also emphasized her parents' distinct roles in her life, crediting her father's creativity for shaping her perspective.

Miley Cyrus' comments on her dad come as Billy Ray Cyrus files for divorce from his wife, Firerose, accusing her of "fraud."

In a recent interview with David Letterman on his Netflix show "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction," Miley opened up about her relationship with her father, Billy Ray.

Reflecting on her father's influence, Miley shared insight into what she learned from him.

"He has a relationship and a foot on the ground to the real and nature, and he always did, even when he was super famous," the "Wrecking Ball" hitmaker said, per People magazine. "I'm grateful for being able to watch him ahead of me. He's almost given me this map. And there's a map of what to do and what not to do, and he's guided me on both."

Acknowledging her father's impact on her, Miley candidly admitted, "I also inherited the narcissism from my father."

When asked to compare her parents' contributions to her current successes, Miley emphasized their distinct roles, asserting that "they can't be weighed on the same scale, actually."

The Grammy-winning artist explained: "Without my dad, I know — I mean, not just literally I wouldn't be sitting in this chair, I wouldn't exist — but I would not, who I am as a person, it wouldn't exist. Because my dad, as a creative and as an artist in the way that his brain works, has always made me feel safer in my own mind because we're very similar in our ideas."

She added: "So I think a lot of his perspective on reality and on life, I've inherited from him, more so than the way that I was raised — which, really, my mom raised me."

Turning her admiration towards her mother, Tish Cyrus, Miley expressed, "Honestly, my mom is my hero."

During her conversation with Letterman, Miley shared insights into her current relationship with her parents, addressing the differences in their upbringing and the impact they had on their roles in her life.

"It's not just about closeness," Miley said in response to Letterman's inquiry about her parents' roles evolving over time. "It's about the upbringing."

She elaborated on her mother's upbringing, saying: "My mom came into this world being wanted and being loved and being given the most beautiful life. My grandmother spoiled not only her but me completely rotten. My dad didn't have that."

While describing her father's upbringing, Miley noted the hardships he faced growing up in a small town with divorced parents.

Drawing parallels between their childhood experiences, she said: "My dad had a pretty rough childhood, and my childhood, really —I mean, we can go on and talk about the hard times and the struggles; you know, turning in my homework and learning my lines was tough — but I had food, I had love, I grew up in a beautiful big house. And my dad didn't have that. So I have a lot of empathy and compassion for his childhood, which obviously developed to create the man he is now that I have a lot of love for."

Amid rumors of a family divide reportedly stemming from Tish Cyrus filing for divorce from Billy Ray in April 2022, Letterman touched upon the alleged estrangement, prompting Miley to address the situation.

Responding to Letterman, the singer-songwriter agreed with the talk show host's comments that "there's no estrangement" with her and it's "just the way things played out."

Miley then continued by expressing gratitude for the sacrifices her parents made to support their children's dreams, stating: "I think, what is so beautiful is that my parents, they served their children, and I know this. My parents served us and sacrificed so much for us. Anything we dreamed of, they made possible."

The country star and his wife, Firerose, are ending their marriage. According to reports, Billy Ray pushed for the annulment, although it was unclear why he did so at the time.

Court documents obtained by E! News revealed that Billy Ray cited "irreconcilable differences" and "inappropriate marital conduct" when he filed the papers.

He also claimed that the marriage was entered into "based on fraud by the wife," adding that "he would not have entered into the bonds of matrimony" if he had prior knowledge.

Although it is still unknown what fraudulent act Billy Ray was referencing, it could include various possibilities, such as misrepresenting identity, financial status, criminal history, or intentions concerning the marriage.