Miley Cyrus says she inherited 'narcissism' from dad Billy Ray Cyrus amid rumored rift
Miley Cyrus is speaking out directly for the first time about her rumored rift with dad Billy Ray Cyrus.
The "Flowers" singer called her mom Tish Cyrus her "hero" when appearing on "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman," after the former late-night show host asked if her father was her hero.
"He has a relationship and a foot on the ground to the real and to nature and he always did, even when he was super famous," Cyrus told Letterman. "I'm grateful for being able to watch him ahead of me. He's almost given me this map. And there's a map of what to do and what not to do, and he's guided me on both."
Miley Cyrus says she and Billy Ray Cyrushave 'wildly different' relationships to fame
When asked by Letterman if both parents deserve equal credit, she said that Tish and Billy Cyrus are "different" and "they can't be weighed on the same scale."
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“Without my dad, I know, I mean, not just literally I wouldn’t be sitting in this chair, I wouldn’t exist — but I would not, who I am as a person, it wouldn’t exist,” she added. “Because my dad, as a creative and as an artist in the way that his brain works, has always made me feel safer in my own mind because we’re very similar in our ideas.”
She added that "my mom raised me," and when asked by Letterman if there was an estrangement," the "Used to Be Young" hitmaker had a surprising answer, slightly dodging Letterman's question.
"My parents served us and sacrificed so much for us. Anything we dreamed of, they made possible," Cyrus said to the Netflix host.
During a different part of the episode, she added that she "inherited narcissism from my father" when discussing her siblings.
Miley Cyrus previously said she and dad Billy Ray Cyrus have 'wildly different' relationships to fame
This isn't the first time Cyrus has scratched the surface of the pair's rumored feud. The pop star got candid last year about her relationship to fame in comparison to her father while promoting "Used To Be Young."
"My dad grew up the opposite of me. I grew up on a soundstage in a house with a family that was super close and all lived under the same roof, and I grew up financially stable and emotionally stable … That’s something that my dad didn’t have," she shared about the "Achy Breaky Heart" hitmaker's childhood.
"I think that’s where me and my dad’s relationship to fame and success is wildly different," Cyrus continued. "Him feeling loved by a big audience impacted him emotionally more than it ever could me. When he feels special or important, it’s like healing a childhood wound, and I’ve always been made to feel like a star."
Last week, in an Instagram post, Billy Ray Cyrus posted a throwback photo with his daughter.
"I’m incredibly proud of her. She's a survivor and a true artist. She learned early on to love and appreciate the fans who make everything possible. We both cherish the connection we have with our fans and are grateful for every single one of you!" he captioned the post.
Billy Ray Cyrus filed for divorce from wife Firerose this week
On Tuesday, news of Billy Ray Cyrus' May 23 divorce filing from wife Firerose (real name: Johanna Rosie Hodges) in Tennessee publicly surfaced, according to an online search of the Williamson County court system. Cyrus cited irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct as the primary reasons for the split, People magazine and Entertainment Tonight.
Contributing: Edward Segarra, Naledi Ushe