Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose have finalized their divorce, and Firerose is allegedly walking away with no money from the settlement. Firerose, 36, is reportedly OK with this, as sources told the Daily Mail and People that she just wanted to get away from the all of the drama and cut all ties with Billy Ray, 62. Billy Ray's narrative sounds a lot different, as he has accused Firerose of "trying to take over my career, my life and usurp the Cyrus name for her own gain."
Billy Ray filed for divorce on May 22, 2024, citing irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct. At the time, he was also seeking an annulment on the grounds of fraud. Firerose later submitted her own filing, in which she accused Billy Ray of abuse and alleged that he filed for divorce just before she was supposed to have a double mastectomy.
Firerose and Billy Ray tied the knot in October 2023, meaning that Billy Ray filed for divorce after seven months of marriage. They finalized their divorce about three months after Billy Ray filed for divorce.
The former couple reportedly reached a settlement agreement on August 2, reported People.
In a statement, Billy Ray's lawyers, Rose Palermo and Jason Talley of Cheatham Palermo & Garrett, said that Billy Ray is "relieved to put this nightmare behind him."
They also alleged that since Firerose, whose real name is Johanna Hodges, legally changed her last name from Hodges to Cyrus "a couple of weeks ago, prior to mediation," it's clear that Firerose married Billy Ray with questionable motives, just trying to get his last name — which is another way in which Billy Ray's narrative about the marriage and divorce does not line up with what Firerose has said.
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A source told People that the allegation is false, taken out of context, and part of an "ongoing smear campaign by [Billy Ray's] team."
The source alleged that Firerose filed to change her name shortly after marrying Billy Ray, not just recently.
The insider told the outlet that Firerose would rather put an end to all of this than fight for money. "If this went to trial, Firerose and her team would have provided a significant amount of evidence to prove he fabricated a narrative that would benefit his public image," the source told the outlet.
Though Firerose has reportedly walked away with $0 from the divorce, Daily Mail reported that Firerose will get "credits or royalties on songs that the couple wrote or published together before and during their union."
Firerose and Billy Ray have both accused each other of abuse, with Firerose telling Page Six that Billy Ray's behavior was "terrifying."
In the interview, she accused Billy Ray of having "very strict rules" about things like when she could get her nails done and what messages she could send to people. She also accused him of isolating her from others. In a complaint filed in June, her attorney alleged that Firerose was "the victim of extreme verbal, emotional, and psychological abuse" while married to Billy Ray.
Billy Ray denied the allegations and accused Firerose of verbal and emotional abuse.
An audio recording of an argument between Billy Ray and Firerose was leaked in July. After the leak, Billy Ray took to Instagram to accuse Firerose of being "a fraud."
"Hell yeah I was at my wit's end. As every day went by, I started realizing something was wrong. And that’s before I knew she was a fraud,” he wrote in a statement shared to his Instagram Story. "I just knew something wasn’t right. That was before I knew she was David Hodges' ex-wife. That’s before I knew her parents' last name."
He went on to say that "everything I thought I knew about her, was a lie."
In a statement shared after the divorce was finalized, Billy Ray called his marriage to Firerose a "crazy insane scam."
"I’m just very relieved… and giving thanks today to breathe a sigh of relief. This has been absolutely the most crazy insane scam I have ever heard of. Let alone the fact I’m right in the center and basically the target of the scheme," he said in the statement, per Entertainment Weekly.
He added that "it’s unfortunate… it played out this way."
