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Billy Ray Cyrus and Elizabeth Hurley have everyone talking after going public with their relationship on Easter Sunday. While some of her friends may be confused, it turns out that Hurley was the one who made the first move.
© GettyBilly Ray sat down with Apple Music Country's The Ty Bentli Show, and according to People, who previewed an exclusive clip, Hurley first popped up in his texts during a low point in his life. Two years after meeting on the set of Christmas in Paradise in 2022, Billy Ray was going through a divorce from Firerose, which was finalized in August 2024.
The headlines surrounding his relationship with Firerose were tough, with the singer, 27 years his junior, accusing him of abuse. Although he didn’t specify an exact timeline, Billy Ray shared that he and Hurley hadn’t spoken in two years, suggesting they reconnected in 2024 after the divorce. “I felt like, ‘Wow, can life get any harder? Can it get any tougher?”
He explained that he felt like life was kicking him while he was already down. But then came Hurley, “And in this moment… a friend reached out.” He recalled her text saying something along the lines of, “Hey, it looks like life might be a little bit tough, and I just wanted you to know I’m in your corner—you’ve got a friend in your corner.”
At the time, he didn’t even know who was texting him. “So I text back, I go, ‘Who is this?’ And it’s like, ‘Elizabeth Hurley,’” he said.
The message made him think back to their time on set—how they made each other laugh despite only filming a few scenes together. “We just laughed, and it was at a time I wasn’t laughing a lot,” he shared. “The oddest part was, first, how much we laughed. Second, I figured we were so different—but in some very strange way, we had way more in common than we had different.”
When he saw that message, he thought, “Of all the people to reach out to me in that second, when I maybe needed it most… this friend who made me laugh.”
What's next for the couple
As for what’s next? Billy Ray teased a new photo post. “There will be one coming where she’s kissing me, because people have been saying, ‘Why’s he always kissing her?’ Unfortunately, when I see her, when she puts her cheek out there, I don’t know what happens—I just kiss it,” he said.
© IG: Elizabeth HurleyPhotos aside, he made it clear there are “no expectations.” If they end up just being friends, he’d be happy with that. He even said she reminds him of someone very special in his life—Dolly Parton. “She’s so impressively brilliant. She reminds me a lot of Dolly Parton. She’s a very smart businesswoman,” he said.
While reports say Hurley’s friends, including Elton John, don’t quite understand what’s going on, one person firmly in her corner is her son, Damian Hurley. He liked and commented on their Easter reveal and follows the Country singer.
© Jamie McCarthyDamian lost his father, Steve Bing, in 2020, so having his support means a lot—and the feeling is mutual. “I do love him a lot,” Billy Ray said about Damian, adding, “It’s great that God brought them into my life when he did. It’s just a good thing. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this happy.”
