Key keywords: Billy Ray Cyrus, Elizabeth Hurley romance rumors, Miley Cyrus relationship update, country music star, celebrity family dynamics, 2024 celebrity interviews, A-list celebrity dating, Cyrus family news During a recent guest appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, 62-year-old country music icon Billy Ray Cyrus broke his silence on months of swirling speculation about his romantic connection to British actress and model Elizabeth Hurley, as well as the current state of his relationship with his Grammy-winning daughter Miley Cyrus. For weeks, tabloids and social media users have been buzzing over candid photos of Cyrus and Hurley spotted together at a low-key Nashville diner, followed by their joint appearance at a rural arts education charity gala in Tennessee last month, where they posed for photos on the red carpet and were seen laughing and chatting throughout the event. When asked directly about the nature of their relationship, Cyrus was open but respectful of both their privacy, confirming that the pair have been seeing each other casually for around three months after being introduced by a mutual friend who works with their shared animal welfare non-profit partners. “Elizabeth is one of the warmest, most genuine people I’ve ever met,” Cyrus told Clarkson. “We both have a huge passion for supporting underserved kids getting access to music education, and for rescuing at-risk animals, so we’ve spent a lot of time working on those projects together, and it’s turned into something really lovely. We’re taking it slow, no pressure, just enjoying each other’s company.” Cyrus also devoted a large portion of the interview to sharing a long-awaited update on his relationship with 31-year-old Miley Cyrus, after years of public reports of tension between the pair stemming from Billy Ray’s 2022 divorce from Tish Cyrus, and conflicting public statements the two made about their family dynamics during the height of Miley’s Disney Channel career. The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer teared up slightly as he revealed that the two have spent the last 18 months working to repair their bond, starting with a lengthy text exchange after Miley took home six Grammy Awards earlier this year, including Record of the Year for her hit single “Flowers”. “I sent her a message the second she won that last award, telling her how proud I was of how hard she’s worked, and how much I’ve always believed in her,” Cyrus shared. “She wrote back a long message saying she appreciated all the time I spent teaching her to play guitar and write songs when she was little, and that she wanted us to leave all the past drama behind us. Now we talk on the phone at least once a week, I went out to her house in Malibu last month for dinner, and she even played me three rough cuts from her upcoming new album. It’s the best our relationship has been in a decade, and I don’t take that for granted for a second.” Cyrus added that he is planning to release his 16th studio album later this year, and is looking forward to continuing his charity work with Hurley, while supporting Miley as she prepares for her upcoming world tour.