Strange Things About Miley Cyrus And Liam Hemsworth's Relationship
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth fell in love on the set of their 2010 film, The Last Song. A series of lovey-dovey social media posts, beyond-cute red carpet appearances, and an engagement soon followed, but their whirlwind romance came to a halt when they decided to go their separate ways ... multiple times, including in 2010, when a source told E! News the Aussie actor was a "distraction" to Cyrus' career. Ouch.
Each breakup was painful for the legions of fans who love Miam (or Liley, as some prefer to call them), and each reconciliation gave us hope that true love is still alive and well in La La land. We're rooting for these two lovebirds to go the distance, but that doesn't mean we're going to ignore all the weird aspects about this couple. Let's take a closer look.
Everyone saw their couplehood coming
Nicholas Sparks, the author whose book inspired The Last Song (2010) dished to Entertainment Tonight in January 2016 that there were, well, immediate sparks between Cyrus and Hemsworth. "I might tend to believe there was little bit of magic involved," Sparks said. "They're both really terrific people, right? It was great watching them. Liam was unknown [at the time]. This was his first role. And of course, Miley was a superstar by that time, just so talented in so many ways. Really great to know that, you know, even after the breakup they remained friends."
Except his then-girlfriend
Hemsworth had a girlfriend in his native Australia when he and Cyrus first got together on the set of The Last Song (2010). That girl, Laura Griffin, told Woman's Day Australia that she had to learn from mutual friends that he and Cyrus were an item, lamenting, "He was my boyfriend and my best friend. There is no other reason why we would have broken up." She reportedly also wrote on her Facebook page (via Express), "Liam and I have been inseparable since school. But it's Miley Cyrus! How can I compete?"
He was clueless about her massive popularity
When Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth began filming the rom-com The Last Song in Georgia, Hemsworth was completely oblivious about the scope of Cyrus' superstardom.
While speaking to Parade, the actor said he grew up "outside of Melbourne on an island that was connected to the mainland by a bridge." He and his brothers would spend most of their free time surfing (instead of watching Cyrus on Hannah Montana, like the rest of us).
"When we started filming, every day I would have to walk through a crowd hanging around," Hemsworth recalled. "I wondered why there would be so many people in front of Cyrus' trailer and all these photographers on the beach." He said the crowd would go wild when Cyrus stepped out of her trailer. "I began to realize that this girl must be something very special," he said.
And our only response to him is: Duh! Looks like somebody came late to the party...in the U.S.A.
They split several times
In August 2010, Cyrus and Hemsworth split for the first of several times. A source told E! News at the time, "Miley has been super focused on her work. Liam wanted more, but she's 17 and has other priorities right now. He's been a distraction." The insider stressed that Cyrus wasn't seeing anyone else. They reunited within a month, but took a "time-out" again in November 2010. They were back together by April 2011, and, by May 2012, they were engaged. However, in March 2013, rumors of a breakup were brewing. The young couple later confirmed their breakup in September 2013.
He may have cheated on her
A source told Us Weekly that before Cyrus and Hemsworth split, he pursued Mad Men star January Jones with explicit sexts. The blonde bombshell and Aussie hunk reportedly linked up at a pre-Oscar party in February 2013, where they were photographed leaving the Chateau Marmont in the same car. A source told Life & Style, "They went to a private house party, and right in the middle of the party, January was clinging to Liam, saying, 'You're so handsome.' He kept saying, 'We can't do this here.' Then they left holding hands and went out in the hallway and were making out. She was wasted. It wasn't good."
A source told Us Weekly that Jones "consoled him" over Cyrus' drastic personality and image changes during their relationship. Hemsworth and Jones both denied the aforementioned claims, but hey, where there's smoke, there's probably at least a spark.
They both hooked up with other people between reunions
During Cyrus and Hemsworth's first break in 2010, sources told E! News that Hemsworth may have been hooking up with other girls. Hemsworth was spotted making out with actress Eiza Gonzalez soon after Cyrus' rep confirmed their September 2013 breakup. In February 2014, Hemsworth was seen smooching The Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev, and he reportedly hooked up with his Independence Day 2: Resurgence co-star Maika Monroe in 2015, though they never officially dated. The Hunger Games co-star Jennifer Lawrence also admitted they got together during the blockbuster film franchise, but she didn't say when.
During this time, Cyrus wasn't moping around solo. She dated producer Mike Will Made-It in early 2014, then Patrick Schwarzenegger from about November 2014 to April 2015. After she and Schwarzenegger split, she was spotted kissing gal pal Frankie Rayder and a mystery man at a party, and then she was friends with benefits with model Stella Maxwell in the summer of 2015.
Did they fib about their relationship to the public?
Cyrus' pal and "Ashtrays and Heartbreaks" collaborator, Snoop Dogg (then known as Snoop Lion), accidentally spilled the beans that she and Hemsworth had broken up as early as April 2013, despite the couple's denials, which included an awkward red carpet appearance together at the premiere of Paranoia (2013). At the premiere, sources told Us Weekly that Cyrus and Hemsworth "acted like they didn't even know each other the entire night ... they acted as if they were strangers."
The Doggfather told HuffPost Live that his single with Cyrus did well "because it's one of those records that speaks to change, turnaround, and you know, just going through things, and we both going through something right now. ... I can't speak for her, you know what I'm saying, but I know that she had a relationship that no longer exists, so I know that she's probably in a transformation change with her life, her music, her career..."
His super ironic home purchase
After Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth called off their engagement in 2013, what followed began as normal breakup stuff, like figuring out where to live, but that endeavor quickly took a bizarre turn. Cyrus recalled the weird sequence of events with shock jock radio host Howard Stern (via Glamour).
"When we broke up, he wanted to get away from me," she said, so he started house hunting in Malibu, Calif. Unbeknownst to The Hunger Games star, the place he was eyeing was the same place Cyrus had recorded her first album, Breakout. "The person [selling the house] hid all the plaques in the garage so he would still buy the house," Cyrus said. "So then he went to move in and he was like, 'F**k, I cannot get away, this b***h is all over my f***ing house!"
They say the universe works in mysterious ways. When these two got re-engaged in 2016, she moved into that same home with him. Cue the sappy music.
Their romance is semi-long distance
Cyrus has residences in Los Angeles and Nashville. Hemsworth's home is Australia. The couple are reportedly buying properties in both countries (and continents and hemispheres!) to accommodate their desires to be near their broods. According to Variety, Hemsworth purchased a compound in Malibu, Calif. in 2014 for $6.8 million. In December 2016, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported that the couple was eyeing a $4.5 million home in Byron Bay, Australia, near Hemsworth's brother and parents.
Her spies are always watching him
If you think the rumors about Hemsworth sending flirty text messages to Jones while he was with Cyrus were hogwash, you might change your mind after reading this next tidbit of information.
During a 2017 Howard Stern interview, Cyrus said she gets "that little butterfly" in her stomach when she watches her man star opposite an attractive leading lady — meaning that she feels a bit of nervous to see him acting alongside an attractive co-star. And who wouldn't? It's not typical for most people to watch the one they love lock lips with someone else on screen. It must be mega-awkward, but Cyrus has the solution to assuage any insecurity she may feel.
When Stern asked her if she ever checks up on Hemsworth while he's filming, you know, just to make sure he's behaving himself, she didn't even try to play it cool. Instead, Cyrus gave a surprisingly candid answer.
"I keep my little spies," she said (via Glamour), "so I don't always have to be there."
She put a ring on it ... again
When Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth reconnected in 2015, the pop star reportedly didn't wait around for her beau to get on bended knee.
According to Us Weekly, she simply "decided to start wearing the engagement ring he'd given her back in 2012," and, bada bling, bada boom, they were serious again.
A source said Hemsworth "never formally proposed again," but he did notice the return of that 3.5-carat rock and didn't seem to mind.
She doesn't 'envision' marriage
After Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth reconciled and the singer slid her sparkly diamond back on her ring finger, Cyrus subsequently made it known that saying "I do" is not on her to-do list. Wait, what?
"I don't envision marriage," the singer told The Sun (via the Daily Mail) in September 2017. "I have no idea what the next three years will bring, but if it's possible to get even happier, I'll take it."
Her hesitation to becoming a Mrs. is something she's spoken about on numerous occasions, including in a 2016 interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "I fought so hard for LGBTQ rights — for them to be able to get married," she said. "But I don't really want to [get married]."
Typically, getting engaged symbolizes a desire to get married, but hey, we wish these two all the best no matter direction their relationship takes.
Her dad doubts they'll get married
Cyrus' dad, country crooner Billy Ray Cyrus, definitely approves of his daughter's fiancé. "Liam is a great guy. I like his heart," he told Entertainment Tonight. "He's got a great spirit about him." However, when it comes to seeing his little girl walk down the aisle with the Paranoia star, Billy Ray's blessing seems shrouded in doubt.
"They're young, they're kids," he told Nightline. "The great news is they're great friends. And if you end up getting married, that's your business too, you know?"
Let's recap: he thinks Hemsworth is great, but he doesn't sound too confident that marriage is in the cards for them. Will Billy Ray change his mind if he walks his daughter down the aisle? Who knows, but, instead of speaking up, perhaps papa Cyrus should have forever held his peace.
She has a matching tattoo with his sister-in-law
Plenty of lovers get matching tattoos, and lots of siblings do as well. But we've never heard of a girlfriend getting the same ink as her boyfriend's sister-in-law.
Cyrus and Hemsworth's sister-in-law, actress Elsa Pataky, sport identical tiny wave tatts. The ocean-inspired ink was revealed on a tattoo artist's Instagram page. In total, Cyrus, Pataky, and two girlfriends all got the same custom waves, supposedly designed by surf champ Kelly Slater.
Pataky is married to Hemsworth's brother, Thor star Chris Hemsworth, and she's apparently a big fan of Cyrus. "She's amazing and my kids love her, and she has an amazing voice," Pataky gushed to Entertainment Tonight.
It seems sort of risky to cement their friendship in such a permanent way. What if Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth break up again? Their body art could become a painful reminder of what once was. Then again, Pataky also has a matching tat with Matt Damon's wife, Luciana Barroso, and a group of friends (three dots to signify an amazing Christmas holiday they spent together), so perhaps group tattoos with extended family and friends are common among Hollyweird circles.
Cyrus and Hemsworth have unusual matching ink too
Speaking of matching tattoos, Cyrus is also ink twins with her beloved beau. What did they get to cement their bond on their bodies? Waves? Hearts? Initials?
Nope. Vegemite, as in the notorious Australian spread made of brewers yeast and vegetable extract. In July 2015, Cyrus posted a selfie on Instagram revealing a tattoo of Hemsworth's beloved condiment on her upper arm. Hemsworth was spotted out and about with the same tattoo on his ankle.
Cyrus also has a quote from President Theodore Roosevelt's 1910 "Citizenship in a Republic" oration scrawled on her arm. The tattoo reads: "So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." Hemsworth followed suit with a different excerpt from the same speech on his arm: "If he fails, at least fails while daring greatly."
If these two someday regret their matching tattoos, they can at least rest assured that they dared greatly in the realm of body art.
His words become her lyrics
If Hemsworth truly wants to protect his privacy, he may want to choose his words wisely because Cyrus admitted during an interview with Howard Stern that she uses their conversations as inspiration for her music.
"I put this dude through so much s**t," she joked with the radio host. "He will tell me something and then all of the sudden it's in one of my songs."
When she released her 2017 album Younger Now, Cyrus said she actually dreaded him hearing it for the first time. "The day the album came out, he said he bought the album and was going to go take a shower and listen," she said. Her response: "Maybe don't!"
He refuses to read about their relationship
Dating Miley meant Hemsworth was thrust into the spotlight, subsequently putting his entire life under a microscope. He spoke to American Way about the constant attention and discomfort it caused. "Look, my private life is my private life and, you know, it's important to me to keep it private," he said.
One way Liam protects his relationship with the "Wrecking Ball"singer is by refusing to read about their romance in the tabloids. "I used to, but what's the point?" he said. "Everything that is written is made up. They don't know. They don't know what's going on. Story after story gets made up and that's all they can write, but they don't know."
It's takes a special sort of willpower to resist the urge to click on an article with you and your fiancée's name in the headline. More power to him!
His family may not approve
Liam Hemsworth's big brother, Thor (2011) star Chris Hemsworth, may have shaded Cyrus in an interview with GQ in January 2015. "I've watched Liam do things I did at his age, like being in relationships he shouldn't be in, or being reckless just to prove a point," he said. A source told OK! Magazine (via Hollywood Life) in September 2016: "Chris doesn't love Miley's potty mouth, but he doesn't want to drive his brother away." A source told Us Weekly in 2013, "Liam's loved ones think he needs someone more stable. Liam's brothers had heart-to-hearts with him because they were worried. Each time, he was more receptive."
Did she change to get him back?
A source told Us Weekly in March 2016 that, after her partying phase, Cyrus became a domestic goddess in hopes of keeping Liam around. "[Cyrus] has been cooking and cleaning for Liam, waiting on him hand and foot," the insider claimed. "She wants to make sure she keeps him." Cyrus also seemed to tone down her social media presence and her social life, perhaps cutting out friends who may have been bad influences. "She either doesn't answer their calls or says she's not going out," the source said. "Liam never liked that she got crazy, so Miley's making big changes. She doesn't want to screw it up. They know what they have is real. Miley needed some time to grow up, but she feels ready for this now."
A source told People, "Miley is doing yoga and seems very healthy. She rarely parties and is taking better care of herself. Miley is a changed person and she actually seems to enjoy it." Another insider told People, "Miley is beyond happy to be engaged to Liam again. It might seem sudden, but they have been very close for the past few months ... They just wanted to keep their relationship out of the spotlight while they figured things out. Liam never liked how exposed his life was with Miley." The source added, "They both seem much more mature. Miley wants to get married. His family was very hesitant about a marriage in the past, but they really got to know Miley better when she spent time in Australia a few weeks ago. Everyone seems excited that they are back together."
An insider added, "Miley has gone from a wild child to a housewife."
No matter what the future has in store for Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth — and what changes they may go through — we love watching their weird and wonderful story unfold.