Inside Billy Ray Cyrus' tragic downfall, from 'intense bouts of drinking' to 'bitterness' over Miley's success

Billy Ray Cyrus was once one of the most successful country stars on the globe.

During the height of his career, he was well known for being a dedicated husband and father, and his adorable relationship with daughter Miley Cyrus in the show Hannah Montana completely captivated audiences.

But in recent years, both the acclaimed musician's professional and personal life has seemed to crumble. 

Billy Ray, 63, has become embroiled in scandal recently, facing two explosive divorces, accusations of abuse from ex Firerose, and a rumored feud with daughter Miley.

Most recently, his son Trace posted a heart wrenching plea on Instagram, begging his dad to get 'help' following a 'trainwreck' performance at Donald Trump's inauguration.

Trace said he 'barely recognized' his father anymore, and boldly stated, 'You're not healthy dad and everyone is noticing it.' 

So what happened? How did Billy Ray go from a booming musician and devoted family man to someone who can hardly get any work and has practically no relationship with own children?

Well, a source close to Billy Ray has now lifted the lid on what really led to his tragic downfall exclusively to DailyMail.com, and they claimed it stemmed from his 'bitterness' over his daughter Miley 'outshining' him.

They alleged that Billy Ray 'groomed' Miley to be the family's 'cash cow' because he knew he was 'fading,' but after the reality hit that she was more famous than him, he couldn't bare it.

The source also claimed that his marriage to Tish Cyrus was plagued by 'intense bouts of drinking and alleged drug abuse,' adding that when they split, it completely divided the Cyrus family.

And when a shocking audio recording leaked on the web that saw him referring to Miley as a 'skank' and the 'devil,' it was the final straw for the Wrecking Ball songstress: her father was now 'dead to her,' said an insider. 

Things only got worse for Billy Ray when he started dating Firerose, as sources said that when that relationship also ultimately ended in an extremely messy divorce, his immense heartbreak lead to him becoming a 'recluse.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to Miley, Tish, and Billy Ray's reps for comment.

As Billy Ray continues to spiral, FEMAIL has recapped his shocking downfall, and broke down what really went wrong for him.

His rollercoaster ride love life: Billy Ray went through two very public divorces, and ex Firerose made a slew of accusations against him

Billy Ray has faced a series of blows in his personal life recently, as he went through two very public and messy divorces in recent years.

He and his wife of more than three decades, Tish, split in April 2022, with her citing 'irreconcilable differences' on the divorce papers.

Addressing their split in a joint statement at the time, the pair shared: 'It is after 30 years, five amazing children and a lifetime of memories, we have decided to go our separate ways - not with sadness, but with love in our hearts.

'We have grown up together, raised a family we can be so proud of, and it is now time to create our own paths.

'We will always be family and look forward to a continued and loving shared experience as friends and parents.

'We have not come to this decision lightly or quickly but with so much going on in the world, we wanted to provide some clarity and closure, so we can remain focused on what is important. With Love and Hope… Tish and Billy Ray Cyrus.'

While things initially seemed amicable between the pair, tensions soon began to show when Tish claimed she was 'disrespected' in her marriage during a shocking interview afterwards.

She revealed: 'I will never put up with disrespect. I didn't even know until I had a new relationship that there was so much respect, how much disrespect there was in my marriage before, on both our parts.'

Now, a source has told DailyMail.com: 'There was a lot of abuse on both sides of the spectrum, and this was also coupled with intense bouts of drinking and alleged drug abuse.'

Billy Ray previously spoke about consuming an 'excess of alcohol' and using 'cocaine' in the early years of his career.

'I think it was an excess of alcohol. There was probably some… I hate to even say it. It was a pretty rough time,' he said in 2024. 'Excessive alcohol. I'll just leave it at that.'

He added that he stopped partying right before the release of Achy Breaky Heart.

'I realized, "Hey, Cyrus, you're about to get your chance. You got the album that everybody seems to really believe in,"' he recalled.

'I stopped at a bridge... and threw all my stuff into the river and said. "I can't do this and not be at my very best. I've worked too hard."'

At the time, he also insisted that while he didn't drink or do drugs anymore, he allowed himself 'a little puff every now and then of marijuana.' 

'I kind of allowed myself to say, "Okay, if you get rid of these two devils… alcohol and cocaine… keep a little bit of the marijuana because it's kind of your medicine,"' he shared.

He has been open about his use of marijuana on numerous occasions, and he even launched his own cannabis brand in 2020. 

Soon after he and Tish ended their marriage, Billy Ray was linked to fellow musician Firerose, and immediately, they faced fierce scrutiny over their 27-year age difference.

Even so, they moved quickly, getting engaged just months after they got together and walking down the aisle one year later. 

In June 2024, news hit the web that he and Firerose were going their separate ways after only seven months of marriage.

At the time, TMZ reported that Billy Ray had filed for divorce weeks prior, and he cited 'irreconcilable differences' and 'inappropriate marital conduct' for what led to her split.

Afterwards, both of them made a slew of allegations against one another during an extremely messy court battle.

In legal documents, he claimed she was after his money and accused her of 'physical, emotional and verbal abuse.'

She also accused the singer of 'verbal, emotional, and psychological abuse,' and claimed he had 'persistent drug use accompanied with the consumption of marijuana.'

Both of them denied the other's claims.

While speaking to Page Six at the time, Firerose alleged that Billy Ray constantly screamed at her and made her feel like a 'prisoner' in their Tennessee home during their marriage.

She also accused the singer of 'isolating' her from her friends and family and said that he had attempted to control her by implementing a set of 'rules' for her to follow. 

'Billy had very strict rules,' she said. 'I didn't have a car. I was only allowed to go to the local chiropractor and allowed once a month to get my nails done.'

Firerose called it 'systemic isolation' and claimed that her friends and family were banned from visiting her at home.

She added: 'If I had to send a text, I had to read it out to him for permission. It was the same for email.'

They settled their divorce that August, per court documents exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com, and she walked away with $0.

'She settled for nothing just to be done with him and get away from the situation,' an insider told DailyMail.com afterwards. 

'I'm just very relieved,' Billy Ray said in a statement. 'This has been absolutely the most crazy insane scam I have ever heard of.

'Let alone the fact I'm right in the center and basically the target of the scheme.

'It's unfortunate it played out this way. Not only was it a web of lies that put me in physical danger, it was a matter of the heart. Love is blind – that's for sure.' 

A source has now told DailyMail.com that Billy Ray has become 'a recluse' since his split from Firerose because he 'truly believed' she was 'the one.'

'Since [their divorce], Billy has shut a lot of people out because he really trusts no one,' they added.

Feuding with his family: The Cyrus clan has been torn apart by the split, and the drama was only heightened after Billy Ray called daughter Miley a 'skank'

Billy Ray and Tish's divorce seemed to rip the entire Cyrus family apart - with some of their five kids taking his side and others taking hers. 

One month after the split, a source told The Sun that Miley was 'no longer on speaking terms' with her father. 

'Miley is all about peace but she didn't agree with some things that her father has done,' they said.

'It has really escalated and they are not on good terms. There were words exchanged over what happened towards the end of Billy and Tish's marriage and now they clearly see things very differently.'

When Miley won an award at the 2024 Grammys in February, she threw some subtle shade at her father by leaving him out of her thank you speech. 

'Thanks to my mommy, my sister, my love, and my main gays because look how good I look,' she said, adding, 'I don't think I forgot anyone. But I might have forgotten underwear. Bye.'

Then, in July 2024, DailyMail.com obtained a shocking audio recording that saw Billy Ray go on a furious tirade against Miley.

In the recording, Billy bizarrely spoke about himself in the third person before turning his attention to his daughter.

He referred to her only as 'that devil' then uttered the surprising statement: 'Everyone knows that devil's a skank.'

He then went on to refer to ex-wife Tish as a 'liar… a w***e… and a cheat.'

A source previously told DailyMail.com that the recording was the final straw for Miley and that her father was now 'dead to her.'

'There is no excuse, ever, for a father to call his daughter a skank. Any inkling of respect that Miley had for her father is gone. He is dead to her,' the insider said. 

They alleged that Billy Ray had tried to excuse his outburst, insisting that his words were 'taken out of context,' but that Miley 'refused to entertain' any apology from her father. 

A second insider added, 'Miley is mad, sad and also not giving a s**t, all the emotions are there. 

'Miley is over caring about what Billy Ray has to say about her, her mom or her siblings. Miley is as independent of a woman as possible, and she refuses to let her dad, or any man, break her heart.'

Despite the drama, Billy Ray posted a tribute to Miley on her birthday in November.

He shared a slideshow of old images of him and Miley to Instagram, including one of her as a baby, one from their Hannah Montana days, and one of them performing on stage together at Glastonbury in 2019.

'Happy Birthday Mile. Hope it's the best one ever! (I know I dropped the "y." That's what I called her most of her life),' he captioned the post, along with a heart.

Now, someone close to the Cyrus clan told DailyMail.com that Billy Ray and Miley's rift stemmed from him becoming 'bitter of her success.'

'Billy pretty much groomed Miley to be the cash cow because he knew that his time was fading,' they said. 

'He saw her talent was responsible for making Hannah Montana happen. At the time, Billy was still viewed as a hunky all American country star, which helped secure the deal.

'They were close, closer that Billy was to any of his other children... [but] over the years that dynamic changed and when Miley became the star of the family and Billy's star faded, he became bitter of her successes.'

The insider added that Miley 'took her mom's side' when their marriage fell apart and 'has not spoken to him in several years.'

'Although she was warming up to the idea of reuniting with him, she is no longer willing to do that,' they continued.

'After she heard what he called her i.e. the "devil" and a "skank," she is utterly disgusted by him and wants nothing to do with him.'

They concluded, 'Billy is bitter because he groomed a superstar who outshined him. Tish and Miley are on top of the world right now and do not look backwards and have no regrets.' 

His bizarre inauguration performance: After Billy Ray was slammed over his 'trainwreck' show, his son Trace posted a note pleading that he gets 'help'

Billy Ray was severely roasted after he took to the stage to perform at one of Donald's inauguration balls on Monday.

The show was branded as a 'trainwreck' on social media after it was plagued with a slew of technical problems.

Billy Ray was heard saying on stage, 'Is my guitar still on? I think they cut me off. I don't hear my guitar anymore.'

He then gestured to his guitar and asked crew members, 'Is anyone awake?' 

He continued, 'I don't hear it? Do ya'll hear it? Is anyone back there? Can somebody turn my guitar back on? We're going to sing a bit more.' 

At one point, a frustrated Billy Ray asked the crowd, 'Y'all want me to sing more or you just want me to get the hell of the stage?' before he added, 'I don't give a damn.'

After a technician remedied the situation, Billy Ray referenced the new President, saying, 'When you have technical difficulties you got to just keep going - or as President Trump would say, you got to fight.' 

Social media users appeared to be disappointed with the technically-hindered performance, with one user calling it 'possibly the cringiest few minutes in entertainment history.' 

Another said it was 'so embarrassing' watching Billy Ray's 'trainwreck performance' and claimed he was 'clearly lip-syncing' and 'bizarrely [wandering] around the stage.'

'I'm embarrassed for you @billyraycyrus,' a different person said. 'This is a disgrace to our President and our country get off [the] stage.'

Another scathed, 'I just watched them try to pull him off stage for five mins... they even killed the lights on him. Thank you Fox for filming that entire scene. Had me crying.'

'Can Trump pardon Billy Ray Cyrus for this performance tonight? Wow,' someone else joked.

Afterwards, Billy Ray issued a statement about the botched performance, writing on Instagram, 'I wouldn't have missed the honor of playing this event whether my microphone, guitar and monitors worked or not.

'I was there because President Donald J. Trump invited me. I had a ball at the Liberty Ball last night and I've learned through all these years when the producer says: "You're on," you go entertain the folks even if the equipment goes to hell.

'I was there for the people and we had a blast. That's called rock 'n' roll.' 

Following the scrutiny, Billy Ray's son Trace posted a heart wrenching, lengthy note to Instagram saying that he 'barely recognized' his dad and pleading with him to get 'help.'

'Since my earliest memories all I can remember is being obsessed with you and thinking you were the coolest person ever,' he wrote.

'I wanted to be just like you. The day you adopted me was the happiest day of my life. 

'Sadly the man that I wanted so desperately to be just like I barely recognize now. It seems this world has beaten you down and it's become obvious to everyone but you.'

Trace added that he knew his father 'might be upset with him' for posting it, but added that he 'could care less at this point.' 

'Me and the girls have been genuinely worried about you for years but you've pushed all of us away,' he continued. 

'Noah desperately has wanted you to be a part of her life and you haven't even been there for her. That's your baby girl. She deserves better. 

'Somehow, just like me, she still idolizes you though. We are all hanging on to memories of the man we once knew and hoping for the day he returns.'

Trace boldly stated, 'You're not healthy dad and everyone is noticing it. Just like I showed up for you at Mamaw's funeral when you didn't expect me to I'm still here right now. 

'As I write this with tears in my eyes I hope you realize this message only comes from a place of love and also fear that the world may lose you far too soon. I love you Dad.'

Trace then talked about his own struggles, revealing that he was 'a year and a half clean of alcohol.'

'Guess what? I feel amazing,' he wrote. 'I don't know what you're struggling with exactly but I think I have a pretty good idea and I'd love to help you if you would open up and receive the help. 

'You know how to reach me. 'Till that day comes I will continue to pray for you.'

A source told DailyMail.com that Trace's post came 'as a surprise to him' and that he 'wishes it would not have been a public outcry.'

But they said that it was 'a little too late for that' and that 'his performance was alarming for everyone who knows him.'

'Even more alarming is that he will not tell anyone that he has a problem,' they added. 

'It is clear to everyone that there is something going on with him right now. Everyone is hoping that this will wake him up and get honest about what is going on.'

A second insider stated that Billy Ray has 'shut them all out' and that his behavior is 'so alarming to them.'

'Billy has shut them all out, including Trace and Noah who he was previously close with. This is so alarming to them,' they said.

'It is really a fragile situation right now and they are all really, really praying that this wakes him up. Trace had the support of his siblings on this letter.'

His dwindling career: After spending decades as a musician and actor, Billy Ray's work has significantly slowed down in recent years

Billy Ray was once one of the most successful country artists on the globe, releasing 16 studio albums over the course of his decades-long career and dropping a slew of big hits.

His song 1992 Achy Breaky Heart was arguably his most famous track, which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. He was also famously featured on a remix of Lil Nas X's wildly popular song Old Town Road in 2019.

In addition to his success as a musician, he has also dabbled in acting, starring in the show Doc, the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, and CMT's sitcom Still the King over the years, amongst other things. 

But his career has slowed down immensely in recent years amid his numerous scandals. 

While he dropped a new single, called Remember Why You're Here, in November, he hasn't released a full-length album since 2019.

As for his acting, he last appeared in the 2022 flick Christmas in Paradise - which was widely panned by critics, receiving an 11 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes - and he hasn't been cast in anything since then.