Billy Ray Cyrus, 61, Is Engaged Finds Happiness Months after Divorce and Mom’s Death

This year has not been the best for Billy Ray Cyrus. The handsome singer divorced his wife of 28 years and lost his mom. He now has a new woman in his life; however, she is not a stranger, and they’ve been good friends for over a decade.

Humans always look for love, but sometimes it hovers under their noses, waiting to be acknowledged. That is how it was with Billy Ray Cyrus, who is now engaged to the woman he called a friend for more than ten years.

Billy Ray Cyrus is an American singer/actor who was born to two music lovers. He started music at the age of four and grew up surrounded by gospel music and a passion for playing his father’s guitar.

Billy Ray Cyrus at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on August 26, 2019 | Source: Getty Images

He became the father of not one but two talented singers and is also a great musician. His musical career started way back in the 90s when he was discovered doing an opener for a Reba McEntire concert and continued for almost three decades with 53 singles and 16 studio albums.

In Australia, he is known as the first recording artist to drop a single that attained triple platinum status, and in other parts of the world, he is just as admired. Besides being a talented singer, Billy also does well at acting.

Billy Ray Cyrus at the 24th annual Keep Memory Alive “Power of Love Gala” benefit for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center on March 07, 2020 | Source: Getty Images

He has acted in multiple hit movies, including “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” and he was featured as Miley’s TV dad in the “Hannah Montana” series for years.

He Endured Many Losses This Year

2022 has been a year of ups and downs for Billy. In April 2022, he and his wife of nearly three decades, Tish Cyrus, decided to part ways. It was their third divorce filing, and it was the last.

Tish filed for divorce in Williamson County, Tenn, citing irreconcilable differences. The separation was mutual and done without malice. In one of their statements, the couple acknowledged how great a family they had been but that it was time for each of them to choose their paths.

Billy Ray Cyrus and Leticia Cyrus arrive at the premiere of “Bolt” in Hollywood, California on November 17, 2008 | Source: Getty Images

The pair married in 1993 and welcomed three kids together, including Miley, Braison, and Noah. By the time of their marriage, they had already welcomed Miley, and Tish was carrying their second child.

Billy also adopted Tish’s kids, Brandi and Trace. They were happy for the most part; however, their marriage also faced a lot of highs and lows.

There was no fanfare about the proposal; he did not get on his knees or offer a ring.

Billy Ray Cyrus and Tish Cyrus at the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019 | Source: Getty Images

Billy was the first to file for divorce in 2010. One month after he filed, it was revealed that Tish had been in an affair with Bret Michaels, which he denied. Michaels said he had been friends with Tish’s family for years and only spent time with her based on their shared love for music.

Billy eventually rescinded the request, but Tish filed for divorce three years later. After some time at couples therapy, the two made up again, and the divorce was called off. They said in a statement:

“We both went into couples therapy, something we haven’t done in 22 years of being together, and it’s brought us closer together and really opened our communication in amazing ways.”

Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus and Tish Cyrus at the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019 | Source: Getty Images

They stated their desire to make it work, and they did until this year when Tish filed for divorce. In the joint statement they shared, the pair confirmed that the decision was well-thought-out and they would always be friends even after the split.

However, the marriage is not the only loss he’s had to endure. In August, just months after his split, his mother, Ruth Ann Casto, passed away. He confirmed the tragic news with a post on social media.

Many of his fans took to the comment section to commemorate the loss with him, and his other celebrity friends also sent their condolences.

He Is Now Engaged to a Woman He Has Always Known

The year has not been all bad for Billy despite his losses. The singer is now confirmed to be engaged to a 34-year-old Australian singer named Firerose.

For months before it was confirmed, she had been teasing rumors that they were getting married with posts that captured her flaunting a ring. Billy thinks highly of her and has called her “the real deal.” Billy described their connection as a:

“happy, pure love that to me, I didn’t know could exist.”

The two reportedly met on the set of the “Hannah Montana” series he used to star in alongside Miley while she was younger. According to him, he met her while he was out with his dog, Tex, in a lot that reminded him of Tennessee.

He said, “on that given day, Firerose came out of the front door,” and as soon as he saw her, he knew she was a star. She told him she was a longtime fan of his, and after she petted his dog, Firerose told him about an audition she had not gotten that day.

Billy decided to help by putting in a good word for her among the producers and executives he knew. After that day, they became friends.

In 2021, they came together to create music titled “New Day,” and soon, sharing music became a thing between them. While he was processing his divorce from Tish, he always confided in her, and she was also with him when he lost his mom. She said:

“I was just the best friend I could possibly be, supporting him.”

After splitting from Tish in 2021, Billy’s relationship with Firerose evolved into a romance. Shortly after, she moved in with him on his Tennessee farm, and Billy decided to pop the big question, to which she said yes.

There was no fanfare about the proposal; he did not get on his knees or offer a ring. He just looked at her and asked her the question. Her answer was clear, and the two are now looking toward what the future hold for them.