Billy Ray Cyrus shares emotional reaction to daughter Miley Cyrus’ name change
Billy Ray Cyrus has spoken out after his daughter Miley Cyrus debuted a bold new name with her 'new era'.
The father-daughter duo, who have recently reconnected after years of speculated estrangement, became close again because of the power of music.
Speaking of how the medium helped repair things, Billy Ray said earlier this year: "It's been so good. That's our lifeblood and how we communicate.
"Since she was a baby, she's been on this ride and seen the peaks and valleys and knows when you're in this business it's all a circus, and at some point, hopefully you get to play in the big top.”
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Miley has since dropped her surname, a move Billy Ray has reacted to.
Taking to Instagram to share a throwback picture of the Hannah Montana star with her brother, Braison, Billy Ray admitted 'family means more than ever now'.
"I always called my little girl Miley. Just … Miley. Just like I always called my little boy Braison," he wrote in the caption to the social media post.
The 'Achy Breaky Heart' singer went on to say that he's spoken to Miley this week and told her he 'felt good about her going with her first name'.
He continued: "I mentioned Dolly [Parton] and Cher. Thinkin’ about it more and more … Elvis … Prince … and so on. It’s a natural progression for an iconic superstar legend."
To conclude the social media post, Billy Ray expressed his excitement for Miley's upcoming studio album.
Fans spotted in recent days that Miley has seemingly ditched her famous last name, as her website's URL is now 'mileyofficial.com' and the home page just has 'Miley' on it.
Earlier this year, Billy Ray insisted his relationship with his daughter 'has never been better', while Miley spoke about their up-and-down association during a sit-down interview with the New York Times in 2025.
Asked whether she was estranged from her father, Miley said: "No. I think timing is everything.
"As I've gotten older, I'm respecting my parents as individuals instead of as parents, because my mom's really loved my dad for her whole life, and I think being married to someone in the music industry and not being a part of it is obviously really hard.”
She went on to say that seeing her parents move onto different relationships has shifted her perspective on the situation.
“I think I took on some of my mom's hurt as my own because it hurt her more than it hurt me as an adult, and so I owned a lot of her pain,” the 'Wrecking Ball' singer added.
“But now that my mom is so in love with my stepdad, who I completely adore, and now that my dad, I see him finding happiness, too, I can love them both as individuals instead of as a parental pairing.”
Topics: Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Celebrity
Callum Jones