Miley Cyrus Makes Startling Comment About Dad Billy Ray's 'Narcissism' as Family Drama Continues

Miley Cyrus is finally addressing the elephant in the room—her strained relationship with her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus. The two have been rumored to be feuding ever since Billy Ray's divorce from Miley's mom, Tish Cyrus, in 2022. Miley seemed to fan the flames by not thanking Billy Ray in her Grammy speech earlier this year. However, in a new interview with David Letterman, Miley opened up about where things stand with her famous father. In particular, she admitted she 'inherited the narcissism' from Billy Ray but also praised some of his qualities.

"He also has a relationship and a foot on the ground to nature and to the real. And he always did, even when he was super famous," she said. Miley also expressed gratitude that her dad's career helped guide her own. "My father — I’m grateful for being able to watch him [Billy Ray] ahead of me. He’s almost 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 appreciated having her dad as an example of navigating fame. However, Miley made it clear her mom, Tish, is her north star. When Letterman asked if Billy Ray was her hero, she quickly responded, "Honestly, my mom is my hero."

The Party in the USA singer explained, "My mom raised me." Then, she added, "I think what is so beautiful is that my parents…they served their children. My parents served us and sacrificed so much for us. Anything we dreamed of, they made possible." When it came to determining which of her parents had a bigger influence on her life, Miley clarified that Billy Ray and Tish 'can’t be weighed on the same scale,' as per Page Six. 

The singer understood her dad had a much tougher upbringing than she did. "And my childhood — I mean, we can go and talk about the hard times or the struggles — but I had food, I had love, I grew up in a beautiful big house and my dad didn’t have that," she said about growing up with love and financial stability. "He had a really rough childhood." She implied that this impacted how both of them reacted to the fame and success they achieved. Despite the rumored rift, Miley didn't directly bash her father. She commended his creative mind, saying it made her 'feel safer in my own mind because we're very similar in our ideas,' as per USA Today. 

Still, Miley favoring her mom speaks volumes about the daughter's dynamic with Billy Ray right now. With his recent divorce from his wife, Firerose, after less than a year of marriage, the Cyrus family drama seems to be escalating. Last week, in an Instagram post, Billy Ray posted an old picture with his daughter on Instagram and captioned it, "I’m incredibly proud of her. She's a survivor and a true artist. She learned early on to love and appreciate the fans who make everything possible. We both cherish the connection we have with our fans and are grateful for every single one of you!"