What to Know
If you spend a lot of time on social media, you might’ve noticed that lots of people are currently sharing life lessons they learned in their 20s (or at other points in their life too). Many creators have been urging their followers to take advantage of certain opportunities by using the phrase, “In your 20s, there will be a [insert event or opportunity here]. It’s very important that you [insert action here]” set to a mash-up of “Piano Man” by Billy Joel and “Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac.
Well, Australian singer Firerose has officially participated in the trend, but has focused on a negative experience instead: marrying Billy Ray Cyrus.
Her video includes photos of Billy Ray.
The beginning of the video shows photos of Firerose, whose real name is Johanna Rosie Hodges, by herself. Over those photos, she wrote, “In your 20s you’ll meet a 49-year-old man who convinces you you’re his soulmate…” Then, the video cuts to a short clip of Billy Ray followed by images of Firerose and Billy Ray together. Over those photos, she wrote, “It is very important you don’t believe him.”
In the caption, she also accused Billy Ray of “narcissistic abuse” and shared a hopeful message with survivors of abuse. “If you’ve survived narcissistic abuse, you’re not alone. It’s chilling how similar survivors experiences really are,” she wrote. “Behind closed doors, it’s always the same playbook. Control, isolation, rage, manipulation, walking on eggshells, cognitive dissonance, feeling like the only person in the world that can be experiencing what you are.”
She then shared an emotional yet uplifting message with her followers. “But I promise, God sees everything and there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” she concluded. “You are far stronger than you think. Love is always still real, even if what you’re experiencing right now is abuse, not love. 🙏🏼🤍”
@..firerose If you’ve survived narcissistic abuse, you’re not alone. It’s chilling how similar survivors experiences really are. Behind closed doors, it’s always the same playbook. Control, isolation, rage, manipulation, walking on eggshells, cognitive dissonance, feeling like the only person in the world that can be experiencing what you are. But I promise, God sees everything and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You are far stronger than you think. Love is always still real, even if what you’re experiencing right now is abuse, not love. 🙏🏼🤍 #inyour20s #narcissisticabuse #survivors #abuseawareness #abuserecovery ♬ original sound – FIREROSE
Firerose met Billy Ray when she was 22 years old.
And like she pointed out on TikTok, he was in his late 40s. Years later, they reunited and got married after dating for several years. In June 2024, seven months after they got married, Billy Ray filed for an annulment from Firerose. After their split, they both accused each other of abuse.
During an interview with Stellar magazine in October 2024, Firerose alleged that Billy Ray “love-bombed” her and tried to isolate her from her loved ones. She claimed that Billy Ray only let her have one guest at their wedding. “How did I not think that that was so weird and unacceptable?” she questioned. “I justified it like, well, that’s my life now. I accepted his lunacy as reality.”
Similar to her “In Your 20s” trend post, she reflected on what she would tell her 22-year-old self when speaking to the magazine. “When I think about what I just went through, I would have told my 22-year-old self to run in the opposite direction and never look back,” she said.
