Billy Ray Cyrus' son Trace shares he's 'worried' about dad post-Trump performance
Billy Ray Cyrus' son is sharing concern for his father's well-being.
In an Instagram post Wednesday, Trace Cyrus, the 35-year-old brother of Miley Cyrus and son of Billy Ray Cyrus, wrote a message addressed to his dad and said that he is worried about him.
Paste BN has reached out to representatives for Billy Ray Cyrus for comment.
"Since my earliest memories all I can remember is being obsessed with you and thinking you were the coolest person ever," Trace Cyrus wrote.
"I wanted to be just like you. The day you adopted me was the happiest day of my life. Sadly the man that I wanted so desperately to be just like I barely recognize now.
"It seems this world has beaten you down and it's become obvious to everyone but you," he continued. "You may be upset with me for posting this but I really could care less at this point. Me and the girls have been genuinely worried about you for years but you've pushed all of us away."
Billy Ray Cyrus has six children, including Trace, whom the "Achy Breaky Heart" singer shares with his ex-wife Tish Cyrus. The former couple also share Brandi Cyrus, 37; Miley Cyrus, 32; Braison Cyrus, 30; and Noah Cyrus, 25. He shares another son, Christopher Cody Cyrus, with Kristin Luckey.
Trace Cyrus, who said he hasn't talked to his father "in a while," wrote to his dad that his sister Noah "desperately has wanted you to be a part of her life and you haven’t even been there for her," and the family is "hanging on to memories of the man we once knew & hoping for the day he returns."
"You're not healthy Dad & everyone is noticing," Cyrus said, adding that he was writing with "tears in my eyes" hoping that his dad realizes that the "message only comes from a place of love and also fear that the world may lose you far too soon."
While Trace Cyrus said he doesn't know exactly what his father is allegedly "struggling with," he told him that he would "love to help you if you would open up and receive the help," adding that until "that day comes I will continue to pray for you."
Billy Ray Cyrus' ex Firerose speaks out after Trace Cyrus' plea
Billy Ray Cyrus' ex-wife of seven months, Firerose, spoke out following Trace Cyrus' public plea.
"What's being seen in public now reflects much of what I experienced in private during our relationship," Firerose told Page Six in an interview on Thursday. "It's very sad to see those same struggles continue for him, but I'm glad the truth is coming to light."
The couple's seven-month relationship ended tumultuously, with a tense divorce that concluded in August and included accusations of abuse coming from both sides as well as a controversial leaked audio incident. In the audio recording, the singer was heard calling Firerose an "idiot," "selfish" and repeatedly telling her to shut up. Firerose was heard telling her estranged husband to "Please stop screaming at me" before Cyrus launched into an explicit rant where he also berated ex-wife Tish Cyrus. The latter couple filed for divorce in 2022.
The message comes after Billy Ray Cyrus raised eyebrows with a performance on Monday at the inaugural Liberty Ball that was widely panned as a disaster.
The singer left fans disappointed after muttering his parts of the song "Old Town Road" and delivering the lyrics in a shaky-spoken word tone. The performance was plagued by technical problems, with Cyrus at one point finding his electric guitar was not hooked up to the audio system.
"In life, when you have technical difficulties, you just gotta keep going, or as President Trump would say, 'You gotta fight,'" he said on stage.
The singer later told People magazine that he "wouldn't have missed the honor of playing this event whether my microphone, guitar and monitors worked or not."
Contributing: Anna Kaufman, Taijuan Moorman and Naledi Ushe