Billy Ray Cyrus Opens Up About Budding Romance With Elizabeth Hurley
Billy Ray Cyrus is sharing details about his connection with Elizabeth Hurley after recently revealing their relationship. The country singer, 63, described how the pair reconnected earlier this month, marking a new chapter after years of knowing each other. This revelation follows their public debut, sparking interest in this unexpected celebrity pairing and their blossoming affection.
How They Reconnected
During an appearance on Apple Music Country’s The Ty Bentli Show on Thursday, April 24, Cyrus, 63, explained that Hurley, 59, initiated contact via text. They initially met while filming a movie some years ago.
“We did a film two years ago down in the Caribbean and we did very few scenes together, but the couple times we were in the same scene,” Cyrus recalled, “there was a chemistry there that [I] felt. We just laughed, and it was at a time [when] I wasn’t laughing a lot and I found out the oddest thing.”
The Grammy-winning artist noted that he and Hurley “had way more in common than we had different,” making an important impression on both. After completing the 2022 film, Christmas in Paradise, Cyrus mentioned they didn’t communicate for some time.
Life’s Challenges and Unexpected Support
“Then two more years of life went by, and it was this evolution that some might’ve looked at and certainly I felt like, ‘Wow, can life get any harder? Can it get any tougher for me?’” he reflected on his emotional state before Hurley’s reemergence in his life. “At a certain point it was like, ‘You can’t get knocked down any flatter than laying on your back when life is kicking you in the gut.’”
It was during this period that Hurley reached out with a supportive text message. “I didn’t even know the number, and it’s like, ‘Hey, it looks like life might be a little bit tough and just wanted you to know I’m in your corner. You got a friend in your corner,’” Cyrus remembered.
The country musician likened the gesture to a time when Johnny Cash encouraged him in 1992. At that time, Cyrus was experiencing challenging times and shared that “[Johnny Cash] wrote to me in 1992 when was “taking a pretty good pounding” and said, “’Hey, just remember that all things that are good come from Almighty God above. The good outweighs the bad. Let ’em have it. I’m in your corner.’”
A Sign of Hope
Cyrus regarded the text as a significant indication. “I go, ‘Who is this?’ And it’s, like, ‘Elizabeth Hurley.'” He further commented, “All the people to reach out to me in that second that maybe I needed most.”
Defining the Relationship
When questioned about whether his connection with Hurley had developed into an “actual relationship,” Cyrus responded cautiously. “I would say it feels very … she’s a great human being,” he commented, adding, “If all we ever were [are] the friends that we are 1745535489, I would take that.”
He enthusiastically praised her, “She’s so impressively brilliant. She reminds me a lot of Dolly Parton. She’s a very smart businesswoman.”
Cyrus playfully hinted, “If you can laugh together, you can make it through everything.”
Public Debut and Future Prospects
- Cyrus and Hurley initially sparked media interest on Sunday, April 20, by revealing their relationship through a shared Easter social media post.
- The image showed Cyrus affectionately kissing Hurley’s cheek during a visit to a farm.
Cyrus disclosed on Thursday that followers can anticipate seeing a photo “where she’s kissing me,” joking that normally “she puts her cheek out there, I don’t know what happens, I just kiss it.”
The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer continued to describe his developing relationship as “beautiful.”
Cyrus shared that currently he has “no expectations of where we go from here”. He added that he appreciates spending time with Hurley and her son, Damian. (Hurley and her late ex-boyfriend Steve Bing share Damian, 23.)
“I do love him a lot, and it’s great that God brought them into my life when he did,” Cyrus expressed. “It’s just a good thing. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this happy.”
Friends’ Reactions and Shared Interests
While Cyrus and Hurley have only recently acknowledged their relationship publicly, an inside source revealed to Us Weekly on Tuesday, April 22, that her close circle “have known about it for a while.”
The Royals actress “had sworn them all to secrecy,” the insider noted, adding that Hurley has a “history of dating eccentric guys, so it’s not a huge surprise she’d fall for Billy.”
That same month, another source verified to Us that Cyrus and Hurley “really understand each other.” Since reconnecting, the pair have been enjoying time together on Cyrus’ farm due to their shared love of a “low-key, nature-loving lifestyle.”
Cyrus’ Previous Marriages and Family
Prior to his relationship with Hurley, Cyrus had been married three times.
- He was married to Cindy Smith from 1986 to 1991.
- The singer had his oldest son, Christopher Cyrus, with Kristin Luckey in 1992.
- Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus were married from 1993 to 2022 and share daughters Miley Cyrus and Noah Cyrus and son Braison Cyrus.
- Billy Ray adopted Tish’s two oldest children, Brandi Cyrus and Trace Cyrus, from a prior marriage when they married.
- Billy Ray and Firerose wed in October 2023, but they divorced in 2024.