Billy Ray Cyrus is a man who means different things to different people. To some, he is the ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ country singer who helped popularise line dancing in the ‘90s, to others he is the dad from Hannah Montana. Most recently, he is the man who struggled through various technical difficulties to perform on stage at President Donald Trump’s inaugural Liberty Ball, which some viewers labelled ‘an epic disaster’.

To his family, however, he is lost. ‘How good was it to see our President back in command?’ asked the singer during his performance in Washington DC. A controversial gig to say the least, with stars including Carrie Underwood, Snoop Dogg and The Village People all facing backlash for taking part.

Billy Ray’s adopted son Trace Cyrus was the first to publicise his disappointment. ‘Since my earliest memories all I can remember is being obsessed with you and thinking you were the coolest person ever. 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 recognise now,’ he wrote in a candid open letter. ‘It seems this would has beaten you down and it’s become obvious to everyone but you.’

Trace concluded that his letter was coming ‘from a place of love’, as well as a fear ‘that the world may lose you far too soon’. In an apparent response, Billy Ray later shared a video from his 2008 single ‘Somebody Say a Prayer’ on social media with the caption, ‘Praying for the broken hearted and their pain. Praying for my family. For my children… sons and daughters… and their mother.’

However, it seems as though he may have responded differently in private. In a second post from Trace, he wrote, ‘For you to threaten me with legal action for wanting you to get help is a disgrace. […] I will always love you, but I do longer respect you as a man. Everyone close to you is terrified to tell you how they really feel. I’m not. Get help.’

A damning indictment, especially from his own family member, but Trace is not alone in his concern for Billy Ray. In a recent interview with Page Six, the singer’s most recent ex-wife Firerose Cyrus said, ‘What’s being seen in public now reflects much of what I experienced in private during our relationship. It’s very sad to see those struggles continue for him, but I’m glad the truth is coming to light – for his potential good because healing is only possible when you confront the truth and accept there’s a problem.’

The marriage of Billy Ray and Firerose, who are 27 years apart in age, lasted eight months and ended last year. Needless to say, they did not end on amicable terms, with Billy Ray filing for a temporary restraining order, accusing Firerose of abuse and claiming she made $96,986 worth of unauthorised charges on his account. She denied the allegations and claims that Billy Ray was abusive, allegations which he also denies.

Then followed a leaked audio file where Billy Ray could be heard calling his then-wife a ‘selfish b*tch’, ‘a liar’ and ‘a cheat’. He later said, ‘Just think of it… The truth on, I mean, no, Brandi, Trace, and everyone knows [that] devil’s a skank’, which is an apparent reference to either his first wife Tish Finley or his most famous daughter Miley Cyrus.

Tish has had her own tumultuous relationship with Billy Ray over the years. During the couple’s 30-year on-off marriage, they welcomed three children together, Miley, Braison and Noah, as well as two adopted children from Tish’s previous relationship, Brandi and Trace. In 1992, the year Miley was born, Billy Ray also welcomed a son called Christopher with waitress Kristin Luckey, whom he pledged to support.

Billy Ray first filed for divorce from Tish in 2010 but dropped the proceedings the following year. In 2013, Tish filed for divorce herself, but they later dropped the proceedings after starting couple’s therapy. In 2022, they finally broke up, with court documents revealing that they separated two years earlier. Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast Tish said there was ‘so much disrespect on both parts’ throughout their relationship, admitting that she had ‘not been in a good place for a long time’.

As for Miley, who has had the most public facing relationship with Billy Ray, she has reportedly not been on speaking terms with him since the derogatory Firerose voice notes were made public. Last year, when she won Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for her single ‘Flowers’ at the Grammys, she thanked her mum, her boyfriend and her sisters, but not her father, which several fans interpreted as a snub.

There is clearly tension coming from multiple different angles in the Cyrus family, but an insider has since told People that ‘Miley and Noah and Braison and Tish don’t want to be this Cyrus family feud’, adding that ‘this is not enjoyable for them’ and they ‘got through the drama of 2024’.

Between his performance at Trump’s inauguration, the Firerose allegations, and his various public arguments with his relatives, Billy Ray’s reputation is suffering. Nevertheless, he shows no signs of slowing down. The country singer has defended his choice to perform in Washington, saying ‘you just had to be there’, and has announced a new album produced by his son Braison.

‘This is art imitating life, imitating art,’ Billy Ray said in a statement. ‘It starts and ends with art. Braison is very talented and ’25 is his year. I’m glad to be a part of it. This record is gonna be special. I’m gearing up for what will be the journey of a lifetime.’