Billy Ray Cyrus is engaged to Firestone (Picture: Instagram)
Billy Ray Cyrus has officially confirmed his engagement to Firerose, after months of speculation.
The lovebirds were linked earlier this year, following the Achy Breaky Heart singer’s split from wife Tish Cyrus, after nearly 30 years of marriage.
Singer Firerose, 34, was later pictured flashing an engagement ring on Instagram, leading to intense rumors of a secret proposal – but they remained tight-lipped over the engagement.
In a new interview, the country icon, 61, finally announced their happy news, describing his fiancée as the ‘real deal’.
Billy explained that they first met 12 years ago, on the set of Hannah Montana – which famously starred his daughter, Miley Cyrus.
Speaking of their first interaction, he vowed that he could tell she was a star and invited her to sit in on rehearsals for the show, so that she could network and meet important contacts behind the scenes.
The couple made their romance official earlier this year (Picture: Instagram)
This led to a solid friendship over the years, with Firerose telling People Magazine: ‘Billy confided in me a lot of what was going on in his life. I was just the best friend I could possibly be, supporting him.’
Tish filed for divorce in April, bringing their decades-long romance to an official end for the final time – after two previous separations.
Billy insisted that, despite rumors of a rift in the family, they were all aware that it was ‘time for a change’.
‘There was sickness and death, and hard times,’ Billy reflected of the tough pandemic. ‘All of the sudden, the life that I’ve always known as a touring artist didn’t exist anymore. A moment of so much change. And at the same time, Firerose, who had been such a light of positivity, such a best friend.
‘And then when we began sharing the music, it just evolved more into, as musical soulmates, to soulmates, happy, pure love that to me, I didn’t know could exist. Again, we’re musicians, first and foremost, both of us. And we found this harmony, and this rhythm, this melody to life.’
Things moved quickly for the couple, and Firerose moved into Billy’s farm in Tennessee in the summer – and he popped the question in August, simply asking her: ‘Do you want to marry me?’
It was a simple answer, and they set about planning their upcoming ceremony, cementing their romance.
‘I’ve spent my life worried about things that are beyond my control. But at this spot in my life, knowing that all you really have is the happiness that you feel inside your mind and your heart,’ Billy added, becoming emotional. ‘Finding Firerose and getting engaged and then losing my mom [a few weeks later]—see? The teeter-totter will not stay in the middle.
Tish filed for divorce from Billy in April, after nearly 30 years of marriage (Picture: FilmMagic)
‘But having somebody to ride it out with now—that’s giving me a little more balance.’
Billy was previously married to Tish, with the couple first dating in 1991, before welcoming Miley the following year.
They famously tied the knot in their living room in 1993 and introduced son Brasion in 1994, before adding to their brood with Noah in 2000.
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Tish is also mom to Brandi and Trace from a previous relationship, with Billy adopting both after their wedding.
However, it wasn’t to last and she filed paperwork to end their relationship in April.
Court documents obtained by TMZ stated that the actress cited ‘irreconcilable differences’ as the reason behind the split, claiming they hadn’t lived together for more than two years.
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