The “Flowers” singer and the “Old Town Road” hitmaker have been performing together since the Hannah Montana days

THE VOICE -- "Battle Reality" -- Pictured: Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus

 

Miley Cyrus emerged as one of the biggest winners from Sunday night’s 66th Grammy Awards, taking home her first two gramophones ever in her nearly two-decade long career.

The 31-year-old won Best Pop Solo Performance and Record of the Year for her song “Flowers,” which was one of the biggest smash hits of 2023, and was accompanied by her mom Tish Cyrus, sister Brandi Cyrus, and boyfriend Maxx Morando.

During her acceptance speech for the latter trophy, she thanked the team behind the track as well as “my mommy, my sister, my love,” pointing to them in the crowd. She ended with: “I don’t think I forgot anyone…but I might’ve forgotten underwear. Bye!” Watch the speech below…

Many on social media took the exclusion of her father Billy Ray Cyrus in her acceptance speech as an indirect comment on the state of their relationship, while several others simply pointed out that she only thanked the family members who were in the audience.

The momentary interaction placed a greater spotlight on the relationship between the pair, which has been reportedly rocky over the past couple of years.

Miley broke into the mainstream in 2006 with her dad by her side as the star of the iconic Disney Channel series Hannah Montana.

The pair became TV mainstays for the rest of the series’ run (2006-2011), plus one theatrical movie, and even collaborated on a few songs from the show’s soundtrack.

Brandi Cyrus, Maxx Morando, Miley Cyrus and Tish Cyrus attend the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.© Getty Images
Miley was joined by mom Tish, half-sister Brandi, and boyfriend Maxx at the Grammys

Miley’s success quickly began to skyrocket, and Billy Ray and Tish remained two of her staunchest supporters. The father-daughter pair would often perform on tour together as well.

Billy Ray soon experienced a career resurgence of his own thanks to his featured turn in 2019’s “Old Town Road” with Lil Nas X.

However, in 2022, Billy Ray and Tish filed for divorce after nearly 30 years of marriage, although this was the third time they’d done so over the course of their union.

The divorce apparently caused a strain in Miley’s dynamic with her father, which was further fueled by his engagement to Australian singer FIREROSE.

Miley reportedly was uncomfortable with her father’s relationship with someone so close to her own age (FIREROSE is 36, five years older than Miley), and seemingly didn’t attend their wedding in October 2023.

Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus at the Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, California© Getty Images
Billy Ray and Miley’s father-daughter dynamic became the catalyst for their success with “Hannah Montana”

Meanwhile, she remained supportive of her mother when she announced her engagement to Australian actor Dominic Purcell, and was the maid of honor at their wedding last August.

The rift allegedly also extends to their blended family. Tish’s children from her previous relationship and Miley’s half-siblings, Trace and Brandi, were at Tish’s wedding.

Meanwhile, Billy Ray and Tish’s two other children, Noah and Braison, have remained closer with their dad.

Billy Ray Cyrus, Tish Cyrus, and Miley Cyrus attend the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards at Staples Center on February 10, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.© Getty Images
Their family unit remained strong until Tish and Billy Ray divorced in 2022

However, neither party has commented on the matter. In fact, in August 2023, during her Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation (Backyard Sessions) special, the “Party in the U.S.A.” songstress opened about how she and Billy Ray looked at fame differently.

“My dad grew up the opposite of me,” she explained. “I grew up on a soundstage, like, in a house with a family that was super close and all lived under the same roof, and I grew up financially stable and emotionally stable, I think, in my relationships also. That’s something that my dad didn’t have.”

Tish Cyrus' wedding with her children Brandi, Trace, and Miley© Instagram
Miley, Brandi, and Trace were the only siblings in attendance at Tish’s August 2023 wedding

She added that she believed that was what caused them to have “wildly different” ideas of fame. “Him feeling loved by a big audience impacted him emotionally more than it ever could me.

“When he feels special or important, it’s like healing a childhood wound, and I’ve always been made to feel like a star. It makes me emotional, so I think that’s the difference.”

FIREROSE and Billy Ray Cyrus attend the 16th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors at Ryman Auditorium on August 23, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee.© Getty Images
Billy Ray, meanwhile, married singer FIREROSE in October 2023

Miley went on to praise her father and spoke fondly of performing with him growing up. “I do have a lot of great memories singing music with my dad and learning and watching his voice and the way that he’s using the instrument. I will say that I feel vocally my dad was under-appreciated.”