Miley Cyrus responds to family drama after Billy Ray's inauguration performance

She's distancing herself from it

Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus perform on the Pyramid Stage during day five of Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm, Pilton on June 30, 2019 in Glastonbury, England.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Miley Cyrus and her siblings have had a fairly disastrous relationship with their father Billy Ray Cyrus in recent years, and some new information makes it look like Miley won't be extending an olive branch.

Sources who spoke to Page Six recently claimed that Miley hasn't been in touch with Billy Ray "for a long time," and that the "Flowers" singer has "no interest" in rebuilding their relationship.

Meanwhile, the insiders also noted that Miley had watched Billy Ray's performance from Donald Trump's inauguration, and thought it was "concerning."

Said performance was somewhat confusing, and Billy Ray faced several technical issues. After the fact, he took to Instagram to share: "I wouldn’t have missed the honor of playing this event whether my microphone, guitar and monitors worked or not. I was there because President Donald J. Trump invited me."

Things escalated when Billy Ray's son Trace Cyrus, Miley's older brother, penned an emotional letter to his father, which he shared on Instagram.

"We are all hanging on to memories of the man we once knew & hoping for the day he returns," the letter read in part. "You’re not healthy Dad & everyone is noticing it."

Trace concluded: "We haven’t talked in a while but I’m over a year and half clean from alcohol. Guess what? I feel amazing.. 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. You know how to reach me. Till that day comes I will continue to pray for you."

Meanwhile, a source told People that Miley is trying her best not to get involved in all the drama.

"Miley used to feel overwhelmed by the family drama. She worked hard to remove herself. She's not about to get involved again," the source said. "She's in a great place now. She's thriving and looking out for herself."

The Cyrus family has been plagued with loads of drama since Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus divorced several years ago. Notably, there was an alleged feud between Miley's younger sister Noah and her mum Tish, with Noah skipping Tish's wedding to Dominic Purcell in 2023.

It also seemed clear that Miley was not on speaking terms with her dad when she opted to leave him out of her Grammys acceptance speech in early 2024.

Here's hoping the Cyruses can find a way to move forward that works for everyone!

Iris Goldsztajn
Iris Goldsztajn is a celebrity and royal news writer for Marie Claire. As a London-based freelance journalist, she writes about wellness, relationships, pop culture, beauty and more for the likes of InStyle, Women's Health, Bustle, Stylist and Red. Aside from her quasi-personal investment in celebs' comings and goings, Iris is especially interested in debunking diet culture and destigmatising mental health struggles. Previously, she was the associate editor for Her Campus, where she oversaw the style and beauty news sections, as well as producing gift guides, personal essays and celebrity interviews. There, she worked remotely from Los Angeles, after returning from a three-month stint as an editorial intern for Cosmopolitan.com in New York. As an undergraduate at the University of California, Los Angeles, she interned at goop and C California Style and served as Her Campus' national style and LGBTQ+ editor. Iris was born and raised in France by a French father and an English mother. Her Spotify Wrapped is riddled with country music and One Direction, and she can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.