Tish Cyrus Slams Billy Ray’s Claims That ‘Hannah Montana’ Ruined Their Family

Pop icon Miley Cyrus‘s mother, Tish Cyrus, responded to a claim made by their ex-husband, Billy Ray Cyrus, in a 2011 interview with GQ when Billy Ray had stated Hannah Montana had “destroyed” their family.

When asked about Billy Ray’s assertion on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Tish firmly stated, “Absolutely not.”

Tish’s older sister, Brandi, also present for the interview added that their family was far from destroyed and asserted that they were doing great.

Billy Ray’s comments came at a time when he had recently filed for divorce from Tish after nearly three decades of marriage. Their divorce coincided with the conclusion of his four-season run on Hannah Montana. Meanwhile, Cyrus was propelled to fame by the show and her perceived rebellious behavior.

Billy Ray told GQ, “[‘Hannah Montana’] destroyed my family. I’ll tell you right now — the d— show destroyed my family.”

When asked if he wished Hannah Montana had never happened, Billy Ray replied, “I hate to say it, but yes, I do. Yeah. I’d take it back in a second. For my family to be here and just be everybody okay, safe and sound and happy and normal, would have been fantastic. Heck, yeah. I’d erase it all in a second if I could.”

Tish was unfazed by these remarks on the podcast, dismissed them, and even suggested that Hannah Montana had a positive effect on their family. While she chose her words carefully, she described their financial situation before the show’s success. Tish mentioned that aside from Billy Ray’s 1992 country hit “Achy Breaky Heart,” he had struggled to find significant success.

However, when Miley auditioned for Hannah Montana and secured the role, Tish saw an opportunity. She shared an anecdote about a casting director’s joke that they couldn’t afford Miley’s “real dad,” to which Tish responded, “Oh, maybe you can.” Tish encouraged Billy Ray to audition for the role of the father on the show.

Tish further explained that due to Miley and Billy Ray’s rigorous schedule on the show, she often felt like a single mother to their five children, a sentiment echoed by Brandi. Tish expressed admiration for how she managed to make it work despite the difficulties they faced as a family and acknowledged the sacrifices made by everyone involved to navigate those circumstances.

On February 5, Cyrus won her first Grammy for her hit song “Flowers” but did not thank Billy Ray in her speech.

Tish recently married actor Dominic Purcell.