Yahoo Lifestyle There Are New Reports On Billy Ray Cyrus’s Personal “Struggles” After His Son, Trace Cyrus, Shared An Open Letter Begging Him To Get “Help”
It seems there’s a lot going on in the Cyrus family right now.
In case you missed it, Billy Ray Cyrus recently sparked concern after he delivered a shaky performance at the “Liberty Ball,” which was held in celebration of Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration last Monday.
The performance — which you can watch in full here — was plagued by technical difficulties, and Billy Ray’s voice could barely be heard as he struggled through “Old Town Road” and “Achy Breaky Heart.”
A source subsequently told People that the 63-year-old singer is “really insecure” about how “his voice has changed” in recent years, which is why he struggled so much on stage.
“[He was] going out and stepping out on stage with his voice, putting himself in a vulnerable situation and showing the world that his voice has changed,” the insider alleged.
Amid the criticism, Billy Ray’s 35-year-old son, Trace Cyrus, shared an open letter on Instagram suggesting that his dad could be struggling with more than just insecurities over his vocals and pleading with him to seek help.
For context, Billy Ray and his ex-wife, Tish Cyrus, share five children — daughters Miley, Brandi, and Noah, along with sons Trace and Braison.
Trace and Brandi were Tish’s children from a previous relationship, and Billy Ray legally adopted them in 1993. The country singer also has a son named Christopher, although we don’t know much about him.
Posting an emotional message alongside an old photograph of himself and Billy Ray, Trace began: “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 recognize now.”
In his open letter, Trace said that he and Billy Ray “haven’t talked in a while” but that he's willing to supporting him if he chooses to reach out. “I don’t know what you’re struggling with exactly but I think I have a pretty good idea & I’d love to help you if you would open up and receive the help,” he wrote. “You know how to reach me.”
“As I write this with tears in my eyes I hope you realize this message only comes from a place of love and also fear that the world may lose you far too soon,” he pleaded. “I love you Dad.”
And while Trace’s message was seemingly shared with good intentions, it sounds like it didn’t go down all that well with Billy Ray, as, a few days later, Trace posted a follow-up message alleging that his dad threatened him with legal action.
So, as you may know, Trace’s public comments come after years of speculation about the state of Billy Ray’s relationship with his various children. And now, we’ve got a couple of updates on the situation — including a statement from Billy Ray himself.
On Sunday, Billy Ray posted a clip of the music video for his song “Somebody Said a Prayer” on YouTube. Notably, Trace appears in the 2009 video, and alongside it, the Grammy Award-winning singer shared a message of optimism for the future — directly mentioning his children and ex-wife, Tish.
“Sunday callin,” the caption began. “Giving thanks for the California Rain . Praying for the brokenhearted and their pain. Praying for my family. For my children … sons and daughters…and their mother. Let this moment be the start of healing ❤️🩹 for us all.”He added: “‘The past does not equal the future.’ Amen 🙏🏼.”
Although we don’t know exactly what could be going on with Billy Ray or what he might be “healing” from, a source told People today that Billy Ray has “not been in the best place” following his recent divorce from his third wife, Firerose.
“There is a lot of heavy doubt and struggles with personal things, but also career-wise,” the insider alleged. “The divorce was heavy for him. He lost faith.”
Despite this, they also said Billy Ray is putting his energy into new music, adding: “He’s very focused on the new album right now. It’s a great project for him to stay busy.”
In his initial Instagram post, Trace discussed a rift between his sister Noah and Billy Ray. As it stands, Noah has not addressed the situation, nor has her older sister Brandi. Meanwhile, their brother, Braison, entered the conversation on Saturday by telling People that he does not have “any bad feelings toward anyone in [his] family.”
And if you’re wondering where Miley is in all of this, a source told People on Sunday that the “Flowers” singer is doing her best to keep out of the conflict.
“Miley used to feel overwhelmed by the family drama,” an insider claimed. “She worked hard to remove herself. She's not about to get involved again.”“She's in a great place now,” they added. “She's thriving and looking out for herself.”
The new reports about Miley come nearly a year after she notably did not thank her dad in her acceptance speeches at the Grammys last February. Months later, in June 2024, Miley shared some eyebrow-raising comments about Billy Ray’s “rough childhood” when asked about their apparent estrangement in an interview with David Letterman.
“I'm grateful for being able to watch him ahead of me. He's given me this map. There is a map of what to do and what not to do, and he's guided me on both,” she told the host. “I have a lot of empathy and compassion for his childhood, which obviously developed to create the man that he is now, that I have a lot of love for.”
Well, there’s that. We’ve reached out to Billy Ray’s representative and we’ll be sure to keep you posted on any updates.
"Me And The Girls Have Been Genuinely Worried": Trace Cyrus Issued An Emotional Statement To Billy Ray CyrusNatasha Jokic · Jan. 23, 2025
After All That Messy Family Drama, Miley Cyrus Didn’t Thank Her Dad In Her Grammy Acceptance SpeechesEllen Durney · Feb. 5, 2024
People Are Accusing Noah And Braison Cyrus Of Shading Their Mom On Instagram After Skipping Her Wedding, And It Looks Like Tish May Have Just Subtly RespondedEllen Durney · Aug. 21, 2023
