There's one controversy Miley Cyrus avoided speaking about for years. Now, she's finally addressed it.

Miley Cyrus is no stranger to controversy. From her infamous 'Party in the USA' performance at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards, where she iconically danced on an ice cream truck holding onto a pole, to her high-profile relationships with Liam Hemsworth and Cody Simpson, Miley has always been a target for scrutiny when it comes to the media. 

Having started in the business so young, Miley has also been very open about her challenges with fame and what it's like navigating her very public life. She even recently addressed the Teen Choice Awards controversy, revealing that it was actually her mother's idea.

"That was my mum's idea. She always lets me take the blame," she told her sister, Brandi Cyrus, during an interview for Spotify. 

However, amongst all the candid topics in her life, there has been one drama that Miley had noticeably steered clear of when it comes to the media. And that's her family — specifically, her relationship with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus. 

Now, she's finally addressed the swirling rumours head-on after a photo of her reuniting with her estranged father Billy Ray at her brother Braison's 31st birthday celebration sparked intense speculation. The family snapshot, shared by Billy Ray on Instagram, came just as fans noticed Miley's mother Tish had unfollowed her daughter on the platform — fuelling rumours of deepening family divisions following her parents' 2022 divorce.

"I rarely comment on rumours but my mama and I are too tight for anything to ever come between us," Miley wrote on her Instagram Stories.

"She's my best friend. Like a lot of mums, she doesn't know how to work her phone and somehow unfollowed me — simple, coincidental and uninteresting."

For more about the Cyrus family breakdown, listen to The Spill. Article continues below.

"My dad and I have had our challenges over the years. Now, in my 30s, family is my priority above all else," she added.

"I'm at peace knowing bridges have been built and time has done a lot of healing. Grateful for the good health and love that flows through my family."

For context, Tish and Billy Ray got divorced in 2022 after previously filing for divorce in 2010 and 2013. As with any divorce, some family tensions are to be expected, but the Cyrus family dynamics took an unexpected turn in August 2023, when Tish married actor Dominic Purcell in a lavish Malibu wedding. While Miley, Brandi, and Trace Cyrus attended the event and appeared to be celebrating, Noah Cyrus and Braison Cyrus were conspicuously absent. 

To make things even more dramatic, Noah shared a photo of herself and Braison at Walmart that same day. Notably, Noah was wearing a Billy Ray Cyrus shirt in the photo. Soon, the rumour mill went into overdrive with talk that Noah had actually been involved with Purcell before the wedding. Needless to say, it was another spanner in the works for the already complicated relationships within the Cyrus family.

Noah Cyrus and Braison Cyrus skipped their own mother Tish Cyrus’s wedding to Dominic Purcell and spent their day together at Walmart in Los Angeles, Noah was in a Billy Ray Cyrus t-shirt, and was also allegedly making fun of Tish online.

Miley Cyrus, Brandi Cyrus and Trace… pic.twitter.com/XSapTgwElE

— Pop Faction (@PopFactions) August 20, 2023

Following their parents' divorce and Tish's new marriage, the siblings on either side of the alleged family rift reportedly unfollowed each other on Instagram, and Miley also unfollowed her father.

In particular, Miley's relationship with her father, Billy Ray, seems to have become strained. While she has spoken fondly of her mother in interviews, her responses to her father are much more guarded. In a 2024 appearance on My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, Miley was asked about her family, and she responded by praising her mother. 

"My mum is my hero." 

But when the conversation turned to Billy Ray, Miley was less forthcoming, prompting many to wonder how strained their relationship had become. 

"My father, I'm grateful for being able to watch him ahead of me. He's almost like 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," she said. 

Tish and Bill Ray Cyrus divorced in 2022. Image: Getty.

"I also inherited the narcissism from my father," she added. Not exactly the highest of praises.

During her Grammys' acceptance speech in October 2023, Cyrus thanked pretty much everyone — "[her] team, Crush, Columbia, [her] mommy, [her] sister, [her] love, [her] main gays because look how good [she looked]" — except her father.

"I don't think I forgot anyone, but I might've forgotten underwear," she quipped.

Despite the ongoing family tension, there appears to be a significant thaw in relations between Noah and her mother Tish. In April 2025, Noah shared a TikTok video dancing with Tish to the song 'Pop Muzik' by M, captioning it "mommyyy" with heart emojis. The mother-daughter duo seemed to be sending a clear message about their reconciliation after months of reported estrangement.

@noahcyrus

mommyyy 🫶🫶🌸 guess who’s replacing brandi @Sorry We're Cyrus

♬ Pop Muzik - M & Robin Scott

Their relationship appears to have strengthened further, with Noah recently appearing on Tish and Brandi's podcast 'Sorry We're Cyrus' where she revealed: "My fiancé and my mum are really close."

Could this mark a new chapter for the Cyrus family?

This article was originally published in December 2024 and has since been updated with new information.

Feature image: Getty.