Billy Ray Cyrus Reveals the Text Message That Reconnected Him to Elizabeth Hurley

In a new interview, Billy Ray Cyrus is opening up about his unexpected relationship with Elizabeth Hurley and the text message that started it all.

The “Old Town Road” singer sat down with Apple Music’s The Ty Bentli Show this week, and in an excerpt previewed by People, Cyrus opened up about reconnecting with the actress after filming the movie Christmas in Paradise together back in 2022. (The pair caught the world off-guard on Sunday when they shared a photo of Cyrus kissing Hurley via Instagram with the simple caption “Happy Easter.”)

“We did very few scenes together but the couple times we were in the same scene there was a chemistry there,” Cyrus told Bentli. “We just laughed, and it was at a time I wasn’t laughing a lot.”

The movie was filmed the same year the country star separated from ex-wife Tish, with whom he shares five children: Brandi, Trace, Miley, Braison and Noah. (Cyrus also has two children, Christopher and Kristen, from a previous relationship.) Cyrus then went on to marry singer Firerose in 2023 before divorcing the next year.

Cyrus has faced many public challenges in the past year, including allegations of domestic abuse from ex-wife Firerose and an apparent estrangement from some of his famous children, including Miley. “I felt like, ‘Wow, can life get any harder? Can it get any tougher?’” Cyrus told Bentli in the new interview. “For me, at a certain point it was like, you can’t get knocked down any flatter than laying on your back when life is kicking you. And in this moment… a friend reached out.”

According to Cyrus, the text from an unknown number read: “Hey, it looks like life might be a little bit tough and just wanted you to know I’m in your corner. You’ve got a friend in your corner.”

“So I text back, I go, ‘Who is this?’ And it’s like, ‘Elizabeth Hurley,’” Cyrus recalled. “Of all the people to reach out to me in that second that maybe I needed most… this friend who made me laugh.”

Cyrus likened the sentiment to a moment in 1992 when the late Johnny Cash supported him as critics were bashing his music. “Johnny said, ‘Hey, you know, just remember that all things that are good come from almighty God above and that stuff happens, and in your case… the good outweighs the bad. Let ‘em have it. I’m in your corner.’”

The “Achy Breaky Heart” singer went on to praise Hurley, telling Bentli: “She’s so impressively brilliant. She reminds me a lot of Dolly Parton. She’s a very smart businesswoman. If you can laugh together, you can make it through everything.”

He also said he has a relationship with Hurley’s 23-year-old son Damian. “No expectations of where we go from here other than her and her son — I do love him a lot, and it’s great that God brought them into my life when he did,” Cyrus said. “It’s just a good thing. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this happy.”

Hurley was previously married to businessman Arun Nayar from 2007 to 2011. She had Damian with businessman Steve Bing, who died in 2020. And Hurley famously dated British actor Hugh Grant from 1987 to 2000; Grant is Damian’s godfather.