61-year-old American country singer songwriter Billy Ray Cyrus has confirmed he’s now engaged to 34-year-old Australian singer Firerose.
Billy Ray Cyrus, father of Miley and multi-platinum selling country music artist, has confirmed he has become engaged to Australian singer Firerose, 27 years his junior. According to People Magazine, the couple met some 12 years ago on the set of Hannah Montana, where Billy Ray was filming alongside his daughter.
He claims it was his dog, Tex, that played cupid, after Firerose – a name her grandmother gave her in Australia and to which she legally changed it – was also on the studio lot and went over to say hi to Tex. Billy Ray says the moment he saw Firerose, he thought: “This girl’s a star.”
The pair remained friends over the years and worked with each other on music projects, even releasing a single together. At the time, however, Billy Ray was still married to his second wife, Tish Finley (mother of Miley). Once their divorce was finalised, after a third time of filing, and then being struck down with the pandemic, Billy Ray and Firerose became closer and took their relationship to the next level.
He said the pandemic presented: “A moment of so much change. And at the same time, Firerose, who had been such a light of positivity, such a best friend.”
“And then when we began sharing the music, it just evolved more into, as musical soulmates, to soulmates, happy, pure love that to me, I didn’t know could exist. Again, we’re musicians, first and foremost, both of us. And we found this harmony, and this rhythm, this melody to life.”
He then proposed to Firerose in the summer, although without a ring at the time. Firerose said yes and then designed her own engagement ring.
There will no doubt be some who have their opinion of the 27-year age gap shared between the two, but it’s far from the first time we’ve seen a high-profile couple born in separate generations come together. There is, of course, Leonardo DiCaprio, who doesn’t seem capable of dating anyone over the age of 25 – although he’s rumoured to have broken his rule by being connected with American model Gigi Hadid.
And then there’s Swedish actor Dolph Lundgren, who is engaged to 24-year-old Norwegian fitness expert Emma Krokdal.
Every man and his dog seems to find it “disgusting” when an older man becomes romantically involved with a much younger woman, but there’s usually a clear case of double standards. A younger man is often praised if he dates an older woman, but an older man dating a younger woman is labelled ‘creepy’.
But, for the most part, comments on Billy Ray and Firerose’s (cryptic) engagement announcement post, have been largely positive.
One user, quite rightly says, “She’s living every woman’s dream. Age is a number when ur consenting adults.” While many others are quick to offer their “congratulations.”
But, you still get some who don’t approve and who want to make their opinion known. There are still plenty of comments littering the post not in favour of the engagement, including “Ewww”, “Yuck”, and “Pervert.”
Seems like this age old debate is one that will never be settled.
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