Miley Cyrus is officially back in bride mode.
After quietly dating drummer and producer Maxx Morando for around four years, the “Flowers” singer has confirmed they’re engaged, stepping out with a seriously sparkly ring and an even sparklier grin on the red carpet in Hollywood this week.
The couple made a rare joint appearance at the world premiere of Avatar: Fire and Ash in Los Angeles, where Miley’s left hand did just as much work as her black sequin gown. By the time the photos hit social media – and Maxx’s dad posted his congratulations – fans were convinced: Miley is in her bridal era again.
The bride-to-be later confirmed the exciting news to PEOPLE, saying, “The detail that I can share is that for us, our privacy and us kind of keeping it small has been something that I’ve been astounded that I’ve actually been able to have and being able to kind of have more choice.”
“I think it’s also being older, being more protective of what I’m open to sharing,” she added.
Here’s everything we know so far about the ring, the romance and what’s next for the couple.
Miley’s red carpet moment that soft-launched a bridal era
If you felt a disturbance in the pop-culture force, it was probably Miley rolling up to the Avatar: Fire and Ash premiere looking like she’d just walked in from her own movie.
The 33-year-old, who was previously married to actor Liam Hemsworth from December 2018 to January 2020, hit the carpet in a strapless black sequin gown with a structured bodice, ruffled skirt and train, while Maxx, 27, kept it classic in a black suit and white shirt. Cute, coordinated and very “don’t look at us, look at the ring”.
And the ring really did steal the shot. Miley rested her left hand on Maxx’s chest for photos, making sure the diamond on that finger was front and centre. Within hours, engagement rumours were everywhere – and then Maxx’s dad did what all proud parents do: posted about it.
He shared happy snaps from what looked like a low-key celebration dinner, including a close-up of Miley’s ring and pics of the couple hugging and smiling with friends and family. No caption needed, just emojis: heart, ring, champagne, party popper. Subtle, but not really.
Inside Miley Cyrus’ engagement ring
Let’s talk about the hardware.
Miley’s engagement ring is a custom design by jewellery designer Jacquie Aiche. It features a cushion-cut diamond set horizontally (also known as an east–west setting) on a chunky 14-karat yellow gold band. It’s bold, a bit vintage and very rockstar-bride coded.
Jewellery experts speaking to PEOPLE estimate the stone could be worth up to around US$450,000 depending on the diamond’s specifics – so yes, this is very much main-character jewellery.
Fans have also realised Miley actually soft-launched the ring weeks ago. In photos from her 33rd birthday, she can be seen holding her hands up to her face, admiring her cake – and yep, the ring was right there the whole time. We were distracted by the frosting.
A quick recap of Miley and Maxx’s love story
If you’re just catching up: Miley and Maxx have been quietly building their relationship in the background while the rest of us were streaming “Flowers” on repeat.
Miley has previously said the pair were set up on a blind date – “blind for me, not really for him” – and they’ve been linked since around 2021. She first snuck him into an Instagram carousel from Gucci’s “Love Parade” show, then they were spotted getting cosy at her televised New Year’s Eve special in Miami.
On top of being her partner, Maxx has worked on Miley’s music, co-creating tracks on Endless Summer Vacation and her most recent album Something Beautiful, with PEOPLE noting that he produced several songs and co-wrote the title track. So yes, he’s literally part of the soundtrack to this era.
By 2022, the couple were photographed kissing in LA, and things only got more serious from there. Maxx later joined Miley at the 2024 Grammys, where she won big for “Flowers”. The pair shared a celebratory kiss and she shouted out her “love” during her acceptance speech, sending fans into full swoon mode.
“He’s very similar to me. We just don’t take life too seriously,” Cyrus spilled to Harper’s Bazaar last November. “He looks at life really differently than I do. He grew up with a laptop. I had a desktop computer that I shared with my brothers and sisters. … Honestly, he’s raised our dog off Reddit. I’m like, Are you sure we’re supposed to be doing this? And he’s like, On Reddit it says blah, blah, blah.”
So far, there’s no word on a wedding date, destination or whether Miley is planning something tiny and secret or a full spectacle worthy of its own TV special.
What we do know – from photos, carpets and all those little quotes – is that she looks genuinely happy, settled and excited about her new chapter. The only thing left to do now is wait for the bridal looks, because if history’s any guide, they’re going to live rent-free in our heads for a long time.
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