It was a hard launch for the ages: On April 20, British model Elizabeth Hurley and country music superstar Billy Ray Cyrus shared a joint post on Instagram that showed them cuddled up while leaning against a wooden fence. Hurley, wearing a plaid flannel shirt, jeans and a straw hat, flashed a huge smile as Cyrus, in a denim button-down, striped pants and green bunny ears, planted a big kiss on her cheek. “Happy Easter,” they wrote alongside a heart emoji. Echoing the world’s shock over the new coupling, actress Melissa Gilbert hilariously replied, “Wait… what?”
A Cyrus source tells Us Weekly the pair “are enjoying life together and wanted to make it public. They have nothing to hide.” Asked on April 24 whether the relationship was genuine, Cyrus said on Apple Music Country’s The Ty Bentli Show, “She’s a great human being. If all we ever were [was] the friends that we are… I would take that.” He continued: “She’s so impressively brilliant.”
Few saw the romance coming, even after Hurley tagged Cyrus in an April 9 video of herself walking on the beach in the Maldives set to his 1992 song “She’s Not Cryin’ Anymore.”
According to a second source, the Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery star, 59, and the “Old Town Road” singer, 63 — who met on the 2022 holiday film Christmas in Paradise — have been dating for about four months. “Liz’s friends have known about it for a while. It’s not a new thing,” shares a third source close to Hurley. “She had sworn them to secrecy, and they didn’t tell anyone outside her tight circle.” Adds the Cyrus source: “They’ve been friends for years, but it turned romantic recently. Things are going well.”
Cyrus himself explains Hurley reached out in 2024, texting him, “Hey, it looks like life might be a little bit tough and just wanted you to know…you got a friend in your corner.” At the time, he didn’t know who’d sent it!
Drawn Together
Reactions to the romance have been mixed. Hurley’s son, 23-year-old model-actor Damian (dad is Hurley’s late ex, Steve Bing), expressed his approval on the couple’s post with a heart and celebration emojis. He also left a heart under Cyrus’ April 22 Instagram post announcing the release of a remix of “ASK (Honor Song).” (Hurley left one too and commented, “That’s MY jacket” under a teaser from the music video.) The Hurley source tells Us that “everyone is happy Damian loves [Billy Ray],” with the Cyrus source noting that the pair have bonded. “Damian is really happy to see his mom happy.”
Hurley’s longtime friend Heidi Klum also shared her support, commenting with five red heart emojis. But there are reports that others close to Hurley — including close pal Elton John (Damian’s godfather) — are perplexed. On Instagram, fans posted red flag emojis and disapproving memes, with some referencing Cyrus’ recent messy split from his much younger ex, musician Firerose, 36. (They divorced in August after seven months of marriage.)
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On paper, Hurley and Cyrus couldn’t appear more different. She’s a top model who’s worked with the likes of Valentino and Versace and was featured on British Vogue three times. Cyrus has been a household name since his 1992 debut country album, but his recent performance at Donald Trump’s Liberty Inaugural Ball prompted his son Trace to publicly urge his “barely” recognizable dad to “get help.”
Sources close to Hurley and Cyrus insist the pairing isn’t as crazy as it seems. “Liz has a history of dating eccentric guys, so it’s not a huge surprise,” says the Hurley source. (Hurley also appears to lean conservative — she openly supported Brexit in 2016.)
They developed a genuine friendship filming Christmas in Paradise in the Caribbean. “The oddest part was first how much we laughed,” Cyrus told Bentli on the podcast. “Second, I figured we were so different, but in some very strange way, we had way more in common than we had different.” In 2022, Hurley had even talked about how excited she was to work with Cyrus, saying, “My son was the age where he used to watch Hannah Montana… I knew Billy Ray really well from that, and, of course, some of his music. That was a big plus.”
Achy Breaky Hearts
The Cyrus source says they’ve connected on an emotional level. “Billy Ray and Liz have both been through a lot in life and have bonded over life experiences,” the source reveals, adding, “Liz is a very compassionate person, which Billy Ray adores.” Cyrus’ dramatic split from Firehouse played out publicly, with each accusing the other of verbal and emotional abuse during the divorce proceedings. (They both denied the allegations.) When asked how Firerose feels about Cyrus’ new romance, a source close to the singer told Us: “Firerose is currently focused on her music… which reflects the profound strength, healing and transformation she’s been forged through. As an advocate for narcissistic abuse survivors, she’s living her purpose by uplifting others out of the darkness.”
Cyrus is also contending with strained relationships with his children. (He and ex-wife Tish — who divorced in 2022 after 28 years of marriage — are parents to Brandi, 37, Trace, 36, Miley, 32, Braison, 30, and 25-year-old Noah; he’s also dad to Christopher Cody, 33, with ex-girlfriend Kristen Luckey.) The Cyrus source tells Us the singer is especially close with Noah, and that Hurley has “been in touch” with her as well. The third source says Cyrus’ communication with the rest of his kids is more limited, “so he hasn’t spoken to them about [his relationship].”
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Hurley has struggled to find her happily ever after as well. She and first husband Arun Nayar called it quits following four years of marriage in 2011, and she was heartbroken when her engagement to athlete Shane Warne was called off in 2013. In 2020, film producer ex Bing died by suicide. “I am saddened beyond belief,” she said at the time. She remained open to love, telling Tatler in 2020 that she looked forward to “having someone fantastic in my life,” adding, “I don’t know if marriage comes into that, to be honest, because I’m not going to have more children, and I don’t need anyone to pay my bills or give me a roof over my head. But I would like someone for companionship, fun.”
Going Strong
It’s safe to assume this is more than just a fling. In 2024, Damian revealed that he and his mom had made a pact to remain private about their love lives until they’re in committed relationships, saying, “We’ve both made a decision that until somebody is incredibly serious, we’re not going to speak publicly about who we’re seeing.”
Meanwhile, Hurley and Cyrus have been hanging out at his $5 million Nashville farm. (On April 23, she shared a video of them riding into the sunset in an off-road vehicle with an American flag attached to the back.) Says the Cyrus source: “They both enjoy the low-key, nature-loving lifestyle. They are very happy.”
For more on Cyrus and Hurley, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.
