Billy Ray Cyrus: 'Change is scary'

Billy Ray Cyrus has admitted he sometimes does the "wrong thing" because he's afraid of change.

The singer features on the front cover of this week's People magazine and in an accompanying interview, discussed the toughest times of his life.

As he discussed a "low point" following his 2022 split from then-wife Tish Cyrus after almost 30 years of marriage, Cyrus shared his reluctance to make adjustments.

"Sometimes change is scary, and I'll keep doing the wrong thing for a long time because I'm scared of change," he explained.

"But when I finally do get the courage up to commit in my mind and say, 'I'm going to do this,' then that's the way it is. No looking back. I think that's maybe sometimes good for everyone - to just let go," Cyrus continued.

The Achy Breaky Heart star also touched upon his short-lived marriage to Firerose, real name Johanna Rosie Scholem.

Cyrus filed for divorce in May 2024 after just a few months of marriage, with both parties accusing each other of various forms of abuse.

As he reflected on that rocky period, the 64-year-old singer admitted it was one of his darkest points.

"When you're completely on the bottom, that is the only way to go - up," Cyrus mused, before claiming he's "been to hell and back a couple of times".

Elsewhere in the interview, Cyrus - the father of singer Miley Cyrus - spoke about parenthood and insisted he's currently enjoying a period of harmony within his family.

As he joked he's "never going to be parent of the year", the star revealed his clan are focused on looking "forward" following a rift with several of his kids as a result of his divorce from Tish and subsequent marriage to Firerose.

Cyrus also described himself as the "most sober man in the world" and gave an update on his relationship with actress Elizabeth Hurley.

The pair went public with their romance in Easter 2025 and now split their time between Nashville and London.

Although Cyrus was initially worried about leaving Tennessee to travel internationally for the first time in five years, he insisted the risk was worth it and he's currently in a "wonderful place" in his life.

"I had to do it. This feels like something real," he shared.