When all childhood stars appeared on the red carpet for Disney's 20th anniversary premiere of 'Hannah Montana', Miley Cyrus' dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, was a no-show, despite reconciliation.
The 20th anniversary premiere of Hannah Montana was a full-circle moment for '90s and early 2000s kids who grew up watching the iconic show. However, fans couldn't shake the fact that one familiar face was missing: Miley Cyrus' dad, Billy Ray Cyrus. His absence became noticeable, especially after Miley had previously shared that she was "really excited" to reunite with her dad for the special.
However, on the premiere night in Los Angeles, on March 23, 2026, when Billy was a no-show, fans kept wondering what the country star had been up to that evening. Here's what we know.
Billy didn't totally disappoint the fans, though. He had appeared in the anniversary special itself and shared a heartfelt father-daughter moment with Miley Cyrus. However, he couldn't attend the L.A. premiere on March 23, 2026, due to some prior commitments. According to Billy Ray's representatives, the singer was busy with a recording in Nashville at that time, working on new music alongside his children, Noah and Braison Cyrus.
The duo had reportedly been occupied with recording a new single that's scheduled for an early April 2026 release. Billy Ray himself also hinted at being busy in the studio, sharing that he had been working late on upcoming projects. On Instagram, the singer posted a photo from his studio, teasing an upcoming project that will be featured on the TODAY show's Good Friday special episode. He wrote:
“Been in the studio all night in Nashville working on my new record with my youngins Braison and Noah preparing for our @todayshow performance Good Friday! Dang feels like this is my ‘Sweet Niblets’ Sweet 16 on the road to the Final Four!”
In Hannah Montana, Billy portrayed 'Robby Ray Stewart', the father of Miley's 'Miley Stewart', and their father-daughter chemistry was the heart and soul of the show. After the show ended in 2011, the following years had been anything but easy for the Cyrus family, as relationships started to fall apart. Things got more complicated when Billy Ray and his wife, Tish Cyrus, filed for a divorce after about three decades, finalising it in 2022.
Billy and Tish share three children, Miley, Braison, and Noah Cyrus; apart from them, the country star adopted Brandi and Trace, whom Tish had from her previous relationships. After decades of being a happy, blended family, the split was a breaking point and reportedly left the children divided. At one point, Miley and her father were estranged, with sources claiming that their relationship had become strained for several years.
The reported rift became even more prominent in 2024 when the Wrecking Ball singer didn't mention her father in her Grammys acceptance speech. The relationship grew even more complicated with overlapping family including reported tensions involving Tish’s relationship with actor Dominic Purcell and Billy's relationship with Elizabeth Hurley.
After a turbulent past, there were signs in 2025 that things were improving between the estranged father and daughter. Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus reunited for Braison's birthday. She also released an emotional song, Secrets, widely seen as a peace offering to her father, which the latter had openly appreciated. Miley opened up on her equation with her family, especially her parents, on The New York Times' The Interview podcast in May 2025. She said:
“My mom is like so in love with my stepdad Dom, who I also just completely adore. And now that my dad, I see him finding happiness outside of that too, I can love them both as individuals instead of as a kind of, you know, a parental pairing.”
In the same podcast, Miley had reflected on her initial indifference to her parents' new relationships, but with time, when she really saw how happy Tish and Billy looked with their respective partners, she realised that they were humans, too, and they are her parents who deserve all the bliss and happiness. Speaking about accepting Billy's new relationship, Miley shared:
“At first, it's hard. The little kid in you reacts before the adult in you and go, ‘Yes, that's your dad, but that's just another person that deserves to be in his bliss and be happy.’”
Ahead of the L.A. premiere night, the Flowers singer reflected on her relationship with Billy Ray Cyrus and how great it felt to have her dad join her for the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special. Speaking to host Alex Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Miley shared she was "really excited" that fans could get another glimpse of the bond that meant so much to them growing up. She said:
“I think that when me and my dad are good, people, they feel better... because I know how much our relationship means to everyone that watched the show... It just feels good when the Cyruses are getting along.”
That’s what made his no-show at the premiere particularly noticeable, but the red carpet was a nostalgic milestone nevertheless, with the cast reuniting. Seeing Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus getting along is truly what matters the most to OG Hannah Montana fans.
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