Following a highly-publicised legal proceeding, Billy Ray Cyrus has reached a divorce settlement with his ex-wife, Australian singer Firerose.
According to documents obtained by E! News, the pair reached their formal settlement on August 5, 2024 – less than two months after news of their split was first made public.
The publication states that court documents outline that Firerose, 36, will not receive any spousal support or alimony payments. Despite this, the terms of the former couple’s settlement reportedly stipulate that the 36-year-old will receive “all rights, credits, and royalties” for the 17 songs she and Cyrus co-wrote and published.
Documents also stated that the couple will reportedly be responsible for the payment of their respective legal fees and will “retain their premarital property,” while Cyrus has been granted ownership of all horses and livestock on the couple’s farm.
Speaking in a statement to E! News, Cyrus shared that he is now “very relieved” to have reached an official settlement, sharing, “This has been absolutely the most crazy scam I have ever heard of – let alone the fact that I’m right in the centre and basically the target of the scheme. It’s unfortunate it played out this way.”
Responding to news of the settlement, sources close to Firerose further added that it was “important to her that this continuous smear campaign end and the emotional turmoil stop so she can close the door on this chapter.”
The conclusion of the couple’s divorce proceedings comes just over one week after audio was leaked of a heated conversation between the pair in which Cyrus can be overheard calling Firerose “a f***ing selfish b****” before targeting her with further abusive language.
In addition to his conversation with Firerose, the 62-year-old was reportedly heard discussing his ex-wife, Tish Cyrus-Purcell, and daughter Miley Cyrus. While it is unclear who his comments were targeted towards, multiple media outlets have speculated that Cyrus’ comments stating “devil’s a skank” were directed towards his daughter.
Responding to the leaks, Cyrus wrote to his Instagram story, “Hell yeah I was at my wit’s end. As every day went by, I started realising something was wrong. And that’s before I knew she was a fraud. I saw before my very own eyes, everything I thought I knew about her, was a lie. She was trying to take over my career, my life and usurp the Billy Ray name for her own gain. See you in court.”
Inside Billy Ray Cyrus’ marriage split
On June 13, Cyrus filed an emergency motion in a Tennessee court seeking a temporary restraining order keeping Firerose, 36, away from any “unauthorised” use of his funds. Firerose, whose legal name is Johanna Rose Hodges, then filed a counter-complaint on June 14, claiming Cyrus had been abusive during their time together.
“Wife was the victim of extreme verbal, emotional, and psychological abuse,” Firerose’s attorneys reportedly wrote in the complaint. “Wife was subjected to Husband’s persistent drug use accompanied with the consumption of marijuana, which made Husband unpredictable and volatile towards Wife.”
The legal papers also allege Firerose, who had been diagnosed as a carrier of the BRCA1 gene mutation, was “ambushed” by divorce papers the day before her scheduled preventative double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery, and that she was placed “into an emotional and psychological prison” in the weeks prior to the procedure.
“When Wife would attempt to voice certain concerns, Husband would often call her a ‘selfish f–king b—h’ and continually alleged that she was using him,” the complaint reads.
Before Firerose, Cyrus was married to Tish Cyrus for almost three decades, having five children together: daughters Miley, Noah and Brandi, as well as sons Trace and Braison.
On June 17, he filed a supplemental complaint alleging Firerose had conducted a “campaign to isolate” him and “blocked at least one of his daughters” from being able to contact him on his phone or devices.
The new claim also alleged Firerose left him a note reading, “I miss you more than I can possibly explain in words Baby. Please let’s work this out and not become anything but closer out of this hellish experience.
I need you. I love you. I am so sorry.” Cyrus’ lawyers argue the alleged note undercuts her claims of abuse, telling the Daily Mail that her legal claims “are especially confusing and suspicious in its veracity since she begged Mr Cyrus to forgive her and take her back only two days after he filed his pleadings to dissolve his marriage”.
Firerose fired back in an interview with Page Six, claiming, “Billy had very strict rules. 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 … it was systematic isolation and I couldn’t find the courage to leave.”
