Miley Cyrus' Mom Tish Says She Had a 'Psychological Breakdown' Before Divorce From Billy Ray
Tish Cyrus is opening up about the emotional turmoil she faced prior to divorcing her husband of 30 years, Billy Ray Cyrus. The decision came in 2020, a year fraught with personal challenges as she grappled with the loss of her mother.
"It was so crazy because, honestly, my two biggest fears in life were always being alone and my mom passing away," Tish shared on the Call Her Daddypodcast. "I was like, 'I just don't know if I'll survive when my mom dies.' Like, honestly. And I had, like, one month of a, honestly, complete psychological breakdown. It was the worst thing -- like, honestly. It was not good."
During this tumultuous time, Tish reached out to celebrity psychiatrist Daniel Amen, expressing her desperation by asking to be admitted to a mental hospital. However, Amen advised against it, a decision Tish acknowledged as ultimately beneficial.
"I could not eat. I could not sleep. I could not stop crying. I literally weighed, like, 130 [pounds]," she confessed, describing the severity of her distress. The geographical distance between her and Billy Ray, who had temporarily relocated to Tennessee during the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbated feelings of isolation.
"[Our marriage] had not been in a good place for a long time, and I think I did stay so long out of fear -- literal fear -- of being alone," Tish admitted, highlighting the fear that had kept her in the marriage. However, she ultimately found solace in her newfound solitude, which she described as "hugely transformative."
Despite having weathered brief separations in 2010 and 2013, Tish recognized that this time, the decision to divorce would be permanent. "I literally just had made that firm decision and was like, 'I'm moving on with my life.' And, you know what, girl? It worked out for the best," she affirmed.
After waiting two years, Tish filed for divorce in April 2022. Both she and Billy Ray, 62, swiftly moved on, with Billy Ray getting engaged to fellow musician Joanna "Firerose" Hodges in August 2022, and Tish accepting a proposal from Prison Break star Dominic Purcell in April 2023.
However, the marital dissolution caused a divide within the Cyrus family, evident when Miley Cyrus only attended her mother's wedding, while her siblings split attendance between their parents' ceremonies.
More recently, Miley made headlines for her pointed remarks during her GRAMMYs acceptance speech, where she thanked her mother but notably omitted any mention of her father. Miley added, "I don’t think I forgot anyone... but I might have forgotten underwear!"
Ahead of Miley’s performance at the 2024 GRAMMYs on Sunday, the 56-year-old mother of five hit the red carpet in a Brilliant Earth necklace with her eldest daughter, Brandi Cyrus, 36, and couldn't help but rave over how much Miley, 31, has grown over the years.
Speaking to ET about Miley's new era, Tish said, "It is so incredible, but as her mom, it's watching her grow into this woman she's become at 30."
She continued: "It's so crazy to think she's only 31 and everything that she's achieved, but as a person, she's just the most incredible human being. I'm so proud of her."
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