Elizabeth Hurley and her country legend beau Billy Ray Cyrus have been cosying up at glamorous events since going public in April – but their romance runs far deeper than red carpet appearances together, a source close to Liz has claimed. They told OK! that Liz, 60, is also helping mend the 63-year-old singer’s heartache, by gently encouraging him to fix his fractured relationships with his children, including singers Miley and Noah, after he “pushed them all away”.
“Liz is the love of Billy Ray’s life – that’s what he calls her,” claimed the source. “Her friends are saying she’s never been happier and that she feels she can totally turn his life around. He’s seen how close she is to her own son, Damian and she is helping him mend those sometimes difficult relationships with his daughter and the rest of the family.
They add: “She’s helping him reconnect with his family and mend those relationships. She knows how important it is, as she’s very close with Damian and she wants the same for Billy Ray. They’re stronger than ever – he’s fallen for her in every possible way. She’s hoping she will be the guiding light and bring out the best in him.”
Achy Breaky Heart singer Billy Ray has described Liz as “a great human being” and credited her with bringing joy back into his life. The couple have appeared together at several high-profile events, from the Orizzonti/Rosso exhibition in Rome to various fundraising galas in London.
They sent shockwaves through the showbiz world when they went public in April, following one of the most difficult chapters in Billy Ray’s life.
The American singer had been dealing with the fallout from his split from second wife Tish – who he had been married to for 30 years in 2022. This was followed by his subsequent brief marriage to third wife Firerose, who he married in 2023 and divorced in 2024.
There were rumours of tension, following his split from Tish, among his six children – Miley, Noah and Braison (who he had with Tish), Brandi and Trace (who he adopted during his marriage to their mother, Tish) and Christopher (who he had with former girlfriend Kristin Luckey).
Trace, 36, posted an open letter to his dad on Instagram in January to say the family were “genuinely worried” about him. He wrote, “Since my earliest memories, all I can remember is being obsessed with you and thinking you were the coolest person ever. 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 recognise now. It seems this world has beaten you down and it’s become obvious to everyone but you. You may be upset with me for posting this but I really couldn’t 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.”
While Miley didn’t respond to her brother’s statement, there were rumours she had fallen out with her dad too. However, since Billy Ray started dating Liz, the family appear to be coming back together. The pair headed out to support Miley at the premiere of her new film Something Beautiful in London last month.
“Billy Ray has been on the wrong track and was previously hitting the bottle and struggling,’ said our source. “Liz leads a super clean lifestyle – she’s very fit, super into what she eats and keeping in top shape, and she’s trying to help him in every area of his life, from his health to his family.”
Billy Ray and Liz’s friendship began when they filmed the 2022 festive flick Christmas In Paradise together. Billy Ray previously revealed that Liz had contacted him while he was experiencing difficulties in his personal life, which became the trigger for their romance.
Appearing on Apple Music Country’s The Ty Bentli Show , Billy Ray recalled, “I felt like, ‘Wow, can life get any harder? Can it get any tougher?’ For me, at a certain point, it was like, you can’t get knocked down any flatter than lying on your back when life is kicking you. And in this moment a friend reached out.”
Billy Ray said Liz’s message said something like, “Hey, it looks like life might be a little bit tough and just wanted you to know I’m in your corner – you’ve got a friend in your corner.”
Billy explained that he didn’t have Liz’s number saved in his mobile and was baffled by who was behind the message. “So, I text back, ‘Who is this?’ And it’s like, ‘Elizabeth Hurley.’ Of all the people to reach out to me in that second that maybe I needed most – this friend who made me laugh.”