To Trace Cyrus, it’s clear that his dad Billy Ray Cyrus is not who he used to be. On January 22, 2025, the former Metro Station guitarist, 35, penned a message on Instagram to let Billy Ray know that he and his siblings are worried about him. “Since my earliest memories all I can remember is being obsessed with you and thinking you were the coolest person ever,” Trace wrote in the emotional post. “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 recognize now.”
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Trace shared the post just a few days after Billy Ray’s performance at Donald Trump’s Liberty Inaugural Ball. Billy Ray reportedly experienced technical difficulties during his Inauguration Day performance, which one social media users dubbed “an epic disaster.” While Billy Ray attributed the messy performance to technical difficulties, another person said he seemed to have “a LOT more than just TECHNICAL ISSUES going on,” per the New York Post.
Though Trace didn’t mention the performance specifically, he wrote, “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 could care less at this point.”
Trace also seemed to suggest that Billy Ray’s daughters, Brandi, 37, Miley, 32, and Noah, 25, are equally concerned about their dad.
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“Me and the girls have been genuinely worried about you for years but you’ve pushed all of us away,” Trace continued, adding that “Noah desperately has wanted you to be a part of her life and you haven’t even been there for her.” Noting that Noah “deserves better,” Trace said that she, like him, “still idolizes” Billy Ray in spite of the way he’s treated her.
“We are all hanging on to memories of the man we once knew & hoping for the day he returns,” Trace said. “You’re not healthy Dad & everyone is noticing it.”
Later in the post, Trace opened up about his own problems with alcohol and how he now feels “amazing” since he stopped drinking over a year ago. He encouraged his dad to reach out for help. “I don’t know what you’re struggling with exactly but I think I have a pretty good idea & I’d love to help you if you would open up and receive the help,” he wrote.
He also told Billy Ray that “this message only comes from a place of love and also fear that the world may lose you far too soon.”
Billy Ray is no longer married to Trace’s mom, Tish Cyrus. Shortly after Tish and Billy Ray announced their divorce in 2022, Billy Ray confirmed his engagement to singer Firerose.
After seven months of marriage, Billy Ray filed for divorce from Firerose. In the aftermath of their split, Firerose accused Billy Ray of “extreme verbal, emotional, and psychological abuse” and said he was “unpredictable and volatile” due to alleged substance abuse issues. Amid their messy divorce battle, Billy Ray accused Firerose of being “a fraud.”
