Tish Cyrus Files for Divorce From Billy Ray Cyrus for 3rd Time
Calling it quits — for the third time. Tish Cyrus has filed for divorce from Billy Ray Cyrus after nearly 30 years of marriage, Us Weekly can confirm.
According to court documents obtained by Us, Tish, 54, filed for divorce on Wednesday, April 6, in Williamson County, Tennessee, citing “irreconcilable differences.” In her filing, the actress claimed that she and the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer, 60, have lived in separate residences and have not “cohabited as man and wife for a continuous period of more than two years.” Tish also requested “an “equitable division and distribution of all marital assets,” and asked that she be granted her separate property.
The Tennessee native also filed a restraining order for their marital property, which prevents both her and Billy Ray from transferring or concealing any of their assets as well as requiring them to avoid harassing one another or making disparaging remarks in the presence of their children.
Billy Ray was noticeably absent from the family’s holiday celebrations this year, with some eagle-eyed fans commenting on daughter Miley Cyrus‘ Christmas post on Instagram asking about her father’s whereabouts.
The pair — who share children Miley, 29, as well as Brandy, 34, Trace, 33, Braison, 27, and Noah, 22 — have previously called it quits twice. In October 2010, Billy Ray filed divorce papers before dropping the filing in March 2011. “I’ve dropped the divorce,” the Hannah Montana alum said during an appearance on The View at the time. “I want to put my family back together … Things are the best they’ve ever been.”
However, two years later, the producer filed her own divorce documents, citing “irreconcilable differences” at the time. “This is a personal matter and we are working to find a resolution that is in the best interest of our family,” Tish told Us in a statement in June 2013. “We ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
The following month, Us confirmed that the duo had reconciled after attending couples therapy together.
“We both woke up and realized we love each other and decided we want to stay together. We both went into couples therapy something we haven’t done in 22 years of being together, and it’s brought us closer together and really opened up our communication in amazing ways,” the “Old Town Road” performer’s rep said in a statement at the time. “Tish also said marriage can be really hard especially after 22 years of being in entertainment. We’ve had rough times but we both realized we didn’t want to be another statistic and wanted to make it work.”
Tish and Billy Ray tied the knot in their Franklin, Tennessee, living room in December 1993. Miley followed in their footsteps when she married Liam Hemsworth in the same spot in December 2018, though they called it quits just seven months later. (Miley has since moved on with drummer Maxx Morando and Hemsworth, 32, has been dating model Gabriella Brooks since December 2019.)
In the wake of his first split from Tish, Billy Ray confessed to GQ that he had become estranged from Miley in the years since Hannah Montana ended. “The damn show destroyed my family,” the Dancing with the Stars alum said at the time. “It’s all sad.”
In June 2013, Miley hinted at the family tension via Twitter. “Billy Ray Cyrus, since your text and email obviously aren’t working would you like to talk like this?” she asked. Despite her pointed message, Billy Ray had told E! News in April of that year that he and the “We Can’t Stop” singer had a close bond: “I like right now just being her daddy and her friend. I like where our relationship is at right now. I’m very proud of her.”