Tish Cyrus recently discussed the emotional impact of her divorce from Billy Ray Cyrus, particularly on their five children. During her appearance on the Sibling Revelry with Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson podcast on Nov. 25, Tish, 57, shared that ending her marriage was never her initial desire, but she reached a point where she had no other choice.
Tish and Billy Ray, 63, ended their 28-year marriage in April 2022. They have three children together: Miley, 32, Noah, 24, and Braison, 30. Additionally, Billy Ray adopted Tish’s children from her previous marriage, Brandi, 37, and Trace, 35.
Tish Cyrus reveals her struggle to preserve stability during a public divorce
Reflecting on the decision to divorce, Tish explained, “I never wanted to be divorced,” citing her parents’ long-lasting marriage as a model. She added, “For us, being in the public eye, everything feels so unstable and odd at times. I tried to make it work, maybe for too long, because of my own mental health. Eventually, I just didn’t have a choice.”
Despite the challenges, Tish acknowledged that the split was tough for her family, especially her children, even though they were adults at the time. “My son Trace, for example, was bummed,” she recalled.
“He wished it hadn’t happened.” Having had an ideal childhood herself, Tish admitted that she didn’t fully understand how it affected her children but recognized it was hard for them no matter how it revealed.
She continued by expressing her determination to make the situation as smooth as possible for everyone involved. “I think we did it really well,” she said. “I wanted it to be as easy as possible for everyone.”
Brandi, Tish’s daughter, who co-hosts the Sorry We’re Cyrus podcast with her mom, also appeared on the Sibling Revelry podcast. She shared that the fact that they were all adults helped mitigate some of the pain caused by their parents’ split. Tish and Billy Ray had previously filed for divorce in 2010 and 2013, but reconciled both times.
“When Noah was younger, it was harder,” Brandi noted. “But once we were all adults, we could step back and see it for what it was.” Tish has since remarried Prison Break star Dominic Purcell, while Billy Ray ended his brief marriage to Australian singer Firerose in May.
In a previous interview with PEOPLE in February, Tish revealed that leaving Billy Ray was a terrifying decision. She admitted to experiencing severe anxiety and doubting she would ever find love again.
“I thought I was going to be alone forever,” she said. “It was a time when I had a complete psychological breakdown. I didn’t eat or sleep for 30 days and just felt like I was coming out of my skin. It was really scary.”
