Billy Ray Cyrus had an “Achy Breaky Heart” after his divorce from Tish Cyrus when he met Elizabeth Hurley in 2022, years before they started dating. PEOPLE shared an exclusive excerpt from Cyrus’ forthcoming interview with Apple Music Country’s “The Ty Bentli Show,” as he opened up about how they grew close. The duo met while filming “Christmas in Paradise,” and while sparks didn’t immediately fly, the country singer explained that Hurley texted him when he was “knocked down” to be a “friend in your corner.”
Billy Ray Cyrus reveals Elizabeth Hurley sent a text while he was processing divorce from Tish
There’s so much more to know about how Billy Ray Cyrus and Elizabeth Hurley came close before they began dating, and the country singer is finally getting candid about it. The couple recently went public and Instagram-official in a cozy Easter Sunday photo, shortly after rumors of a possible relationship surfaced. Now, Cyrus is opening up about the events that started their romance on Apple Music Country’s “The Ty Bentli Show.” PEOPLE acquired an exclusive excerpt from the forthcoming interview.
Talking about how they met, the musician revealed it was while filming their 2022 film, “Christmas in Paradise.” He explained that despite having only a “few scenes together,” he knew “there was a chemistry there.” Cyrus, who was still processing his divorce from his ex-wife Tish, claimed he and Hurley “just laughed, and it was at a time I wasn’t laughing a lot.” But the film’s shooting was soon over, and they “didn’t speak for two years” when he entered a difficult phase, feeling it couldn’t get “any harder.”
Billy Ray Cyrus described feeling like life couldn’t knock him down “any flatter” when Elizabeth Hurley showed up for him as he tried to recover from the divorce. Hurley had “reached out” to him, and while he didn’t know it was her number, the message assured him that he’s “got a friend in your corner.” Cyrus later noted that “if you can laugh together, you can make it through everything,” describing the actor as a friend who made him laugh.
The dad of six finally exclaimed how “beautiful” it’s been and how much he adores Hurley’s son, Damian. “It’s great that God brought them into my life when he did,” Cyrus declared, adding that it hasn’t “been this happy” in a long time.
