Tish Cyrus: What You Don't Know About Miley Cyrus' Mom
The name Leticia Jean Finley might not ring any bells, but the name Tish Cyrus sure does. After all, she is married to Billy Ray Cyrus and she is the mother of A-lister Miley Cyrus. According to her IMDb profile, Leticia Jean Finley is Tish's birth name — but it's unclear if she changed her moniker the first time she got hitched.
Before tying the knot with Billy Ray, Tish married Baxter Helson, with whom she had two children, Trace and Brandi Cyrus (who Billy Ray eventually adopted). Tish later welcomed three more kids with the "Achy Breaky Heart" singer: Miley, Braison, and Noah Cyrus. In addition to managing Miley and Noah's entertainment careers, and producing several of Miley's movies, Tish has also spent time in front of the camera herself, starring on the short-lived Bravo series, Cyrus vs. Cyrus: Design and Conquer, alongside daughter Brandi. Airing in 2017, the show saw the mother-daughter duo compete to redesign homes in Nashville (basically, the home owners chose the best design and both Cyrus women would ultimately execute the project). "We've developed quite the reputation in Nashville for our interior design," Tish told The Daily Dish of the series, which naturally featured cameos from their famous family. "Being a Cyrus means you're extremely competitive."
Although Tish Cyrus has built a successful career mixing business and family, that doesn't mean she hasn't endured some family drama.
Tish Cyrus reportedly had an affair with Bret Michaels
In October 2010, Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus announced that they were divorcing after 17 years of marriage. "As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time for our family," they said in a joint statement shared with People. "We are trying to work through some personal matters. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers."
Just days later, a source cited by Us Weekly claimed that Billy Ray's decision to file for divorce stemmed from Tish's alleged affair with Cyrus family friend and Miley Cyrus collaborator, Bret Michaels: "It was a professional relationship that turned into something more." However, Michaels' rep said, "There has never been an affair or a fling," which Tish's rep claimed, as well.
By March 2011, Billy Ray revealed during an appearance on The View (via People), "I've dropped the divorce." Explaining that he "wanted to put [his] family back together," the Hannah Montana actor added, "Things are the best they've ever been." However, that reconciliation didn't last too long.
Tish & Billy Ray Cyrus filed for divorce twice
In June 2013, it was Tish Cyrus' turn to file for divorce from Billy Ray Cyrus. At the time, the momager told TMZ, "This is a personal matter and we are working to find a resolution that is in the best interest of our family. We ask that you respect our privacy at this time."
The reasons for the second filing have remained unclear. However, the on-and-off married pair ultimately got back together a month later. "We both woke up and realized we love each other and decided we want to stay together," Billy Ray's rep stated to Us Weekly on behalf of the couple. "We both went into couples therapy something we haven't done in 22 years of being together, and its brought us closer together and really opened up our communication in amazing ways." The statement continued, "Tish also said marriage can be really hard especially after 22 years of being in entertainment. We've had rough times but we both realized we didn't want to be another statistic and wanted to make it work."
The Cyruses have stayed together ever since.
Miley Cyrus' mom is a cannabis enthusiast
Although Miley Cyrus confirmed that she had been sober for six months in June 2020, the same can't be said for Tish Cyrus. In 2018, the "Malibu" singer made a surprising reveal on Andy Cohen's SiriusXM show. "You had announced a while ago that you had quit smoking weed, but now you're back," Cohen said to the singer-actress (via Us Weekly). "Did Tish, your mom, get you back into this?" That's when Miley admitted, "My mom is going to kill me, but yeah." She went on to claim that Tish "smokes a lot of weed" and even considered giving up her role as Miley's manager so she could start her own cannabis company. According to her famous daughter, however, "That doesn't sound like the best idea."
Still, Tish's love of marijuana inspired a different endeavor: the Sorry We're Stoned podcast, which she hosts with daughter Brandi Cyrus. During a July 2020 appearance on the Chicks in the Office podcast, Tish remarked (via People), "Even a few years ago, I would never consider smoking pot with my family, but now I do. It's really nuts because, now that they're older, we're also friends." The Cyrus matriarch added, "When all five kids are together, they always find something to argue about. When everybody is smoking, that does not happen at all."
Clearly, Tish Cyrus is much more than a famous last name. While continuing to place her family in the forefront, both personally and professionally, she's making her own mark in the industry.