It seems Billy Ray Cyrus has a lot to say about his ex-wife Firerose, and even more so after an audio recording of their foul-mouthed rant leaked online.
Cyrus, the father of “Flowers” pop star Miley Cyrus, expressed further animosity toward his Australian girlfriend (real name Johanna Rosie Hodges), writing that he “was desperate” during their marriage. The singers tied the knot in October, but in recent months have been embroiled in a contentious divorce, leveling allegations of abuse and fraud against each other.
On Wednesday, the Daily Mail published a two-minute audio clip of what appears to be a heated argument between Cyrus, 62, and Firerose, 36. In the clip, Cyrus can be heard cursing at Firerose, calling her an “idiot” and “selfish.” Firerose can be heard asking him to tone it down and saying she wants him to be happy.
In the audio, Cyrus also appears to speak to himself in the third person and refers to his two children with ex-wife Tish Cyrus — Miley and Noah Cyrus — and the two children he shares with ex-husband Baxter Neal Helson. He mentions Noah, Brandi and Trace by name, but does not mention Miley before seemingly calling her a derogatory term.
The expletive-filled audio, in which Cyrus mentions her ex-wife's health issues and surgery, surfaced more than a month after Firerose accused Cyrus of “extreme verbal, emotional and psychological abuse.” In a since-expired Instagram statement, Cyrus responded to reports about the clip and doubled down on her criticism of Firerose.
“As the days went by, I started to realize something wasn’t right. And that was before I knew she was an imposter,” he wrote, according to People. “I knew something wasn’t right. That was before I knew she was David Hodge’s ex-wife. That was before I knew her parents’ last name.”
He went on to mention his ex-wife's alleged criminal record and said that “everything I thought I knew about her was a lie.” The country singer accused Firerose of “trying to take over my career, my life and usurp the Cyrus name for her own benefit.”
He ended his statement by saying: “See you in court.”
A legal representative for Firerose did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment.
Cyrus filed for an annulment in May, raising fraud allegations against Firerose. A month later, he sought a temporary restraining order against his ex-wife, whom he met years ago near the set of Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana,” alleging she had racked up more than $96,000 in purchases on his personal and business credit cards.
Shortly after, Firerose fired back with a countersuit detailing allegations of abuse. She further alleged that her husband had subjected her to “constant drug use,” which allegedly made him “unpredictable and volatile” toward her. She accused him of retaliating and sabotaging her music career.
Like Cyrus, Firerose hasn’t shied away from social media amid the divorce drama either. Earlier this month, the “After the Storm” singer announced that she had obtained U.S. citizenship.
“This wonderful country has been my home for 17 years,” she wrote in an Instagram video. “I couldn’t be more excited to become an American citizen!”
