Miley Cyrus’ decision to drop her last name and only use her first has reportedly left her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, feeling emotional about the family name. The 33-year-old singer has recently presented herself simply as “Miley.” Meanwhile, her father has publicly responded with a nostalgic message that appears to show his support for the change.
Miley Cyrus dropping her last name has stung dad Billy Ray Cyrus, per source
Miley has stopped using “Cyrus” as part of her public identity, which sources say is a deliberate choice as she continues to grow as a superstar. According to a family source, Billy Ray Cyrus has mixed feelings about the change. He remains proud of his daughter’s success but reportedly finds it hard to see her move away from the surname he gave her.
“Billy is deeply hurt,” a family source tells Naughty But Nice. “He’s incredibly proud that Miley has become bigger than the Cyrus name. But he gave his daughter that name. Watching her publicly decide she doesn’t need it anymore feels like she’s leaving a piece of him behind.”
However, Billy Ray’s social media post showed a more supportive side. He shared a throwback photo of himself with Miley and his son Braison. Along with the childhood picture, he explained that he has always called his daughter “Miley.”
He wrote: “Family means more than ever now. I always called my little girl Miley. Just … Miley.” Billy Ray also pointed out that he treated his son Braison the same way, saying he always called him by his first name. He then looked back at his own career and revealed that he once imagined building a stage identity around the family surname. “I was just CYRUS before Achy Breaky Heart came out in 92.”
Billy Ray made it clear that he had spoken to Miley about her decision. He said he supported her choice to use only her first name and pointed to other famous entertainers who became known by just one name. “I mentioned Dolly and Cher.” Ray also named Elvis and Prince as examples of stars who did not need a surname to be instantly recognized. “It’s a natural progression for an iconic superstar legend.”
Originally reported by Khushali Srivastava on Reality Tea.
