WHEN a snap of Liz Hurley kissing Billy Ray Cyrus emerged, their romance seemed so unlikely people thought the photo must be computer generated.
But while the English rose and the tattooed country singer from Kentucky are not an obvious match, the union is not entirely out of character.
11
11
11
Austin Powers actress Liz, 59, has a history of dating trouble men, including love cheats Hugh Grant and the late cricketer Shane Warne.
So it is perhaps not surprising to hear their bond has flourished, as Liz believes she can “save” Billy after his years of personal woes.
The past 12 months have seen the Achy Breaky Heart singer in the grip of a family feud; facing allegations of domestic abuse by his younger, third wife Firerose — which he denies; and a cringeworthy performance at an inauguration event for US President Donald Trump, which led to him being widely mocked amid a series of technical difficulties.
But Liz has been putting in the work.
The pair first met in 2022 playing the romantic leads on movie Christmas In Paradise.
However, The Sun can reveal they reconnected last year when he turned to the actress and model for help as his third marriage crumbled.
A source said: “Liz has been keeping the whole thing under wraps and has barely told anyone.
“She wanted to make sure there was really something special between them before telling the world.
“There has always been a spark, but he reached out again last year when his short-lived third marriage ended.
“He has had a really hard time, but she has been there helping him turn things around.
‘World may lose you’
“Liz has been really great for him, but her friends are cautious because of what’s been said in the past about him.
“She insists he has turned a corner and is a changed man.”
The couple went public with their relationship on Sunday, when Liz shared a photo on Instagram of Billy, 63, kissing her.
Alongside the picture, she simply wrote, “Happy Easter”, followed by a heart emoji.
Showing his support for the romance, her son Damian commented with party and heart emojis.
But, tellingly, none of his six children have acknowledged the post.
That is because the Cyrus family fell into a divisive feud in 2022, when it was announced that Billy Ray and Tish — who is pop sensation Miley Cyrus’s mum — were divorcing after 29 years of marriage.
The chasm widened when, just months later, Billy got engaged to Australian singer Firerose, who is only four years older than Miley.
This family breakdown is one heartache Liz has been helping Billy address.
The Bedazzled actress is famously close to her son Damian, often posting photos together online and gushing about their love for each other.
She has been urging Billy to take the same approach with his girls.
A source said: “Liz has been encouraging him to mend his fractured relationship with his daughter Miley, as well as his other children.
“Her closeness with Damian is inspiring.”
In recent weeks, Billy Ray has publicly reached out to both his youngest daughter Noah and to Miley in posts on social media.
11
11
11
As well as commenting on several posts shared on Miley’s Instagram — despite the fact she doesn’t run her own social accounts — he has also praised them on his page.
In one message — accompanied by a photo of Miley that promotes her new album, Something Beautiful, plus a still from Noah’s recent Don’t Put It All On Me music video — he wrote: “You are witnessing in real time what it feels like for a dad who in less than one week’s time has had his ass kicked and his mind blown by not one . . . but two of his own daughters @mileycyrus @noahcyrus. Flesh and blood . . . completely taking their art to a whole new level. Congratulations girls!
“Well done.
“I’m so damn proud of both of you.
“I’m actually crying as I write this.
“Thank God you can’t see me.
“Have fun now and be happy!
“Love Dad.”
It is a turnaround from the chaos that has surrounded Billy in recent years.
Liz has been really great for him but her friends are cautious because of what’s been said in the past about him…. but she insists he is a changed man
Sun source
Dramas include his claims that Firerose made nearly $100,000 of “fraudulent” credit card payments, which she said was “untrue”, and he requested a restraining order.
But she later hit back and alleged he had domestically abused her and said he was “unpredictable and volatile” because of alleged substance use.
His lawyers insisted he “vehemently” denied the allegations and said it was Billy Ray “who, in fact, has been abused. Not only verbally and emotionally by the defendant, but physically”.
The couple finally settled their divorce last August.
But in January, Billy Ray’s son Trace made a public plea for his dad to get help following his appearance at the Trump event, when a sound glitch led to his embarrassing a capella performance.
Trace — his second wife’s son from a previous relationship, who was adopted and raised by Billy — wrote on Instagram: “Me and the girls have been genuinely worried about you for years but you’ve pushed all of us away.
“Noah desperately has wanted you to be a part of her life, and you haven’t even been there for her.
“We are all hanging on to memories of the man we once knew and hoping for the day he returns.
11
11
11
‘Extremely close’
“You’re not healthy, Dad, and everyone is noticing it.
“Just like I showed up for you at Mamaw’s funeral when you didn’t expect me to, I’m still here right now.
“I hope you realise this message only comes from a place of love and also fear that the world may lose you far too soon.”
He added: “I don’t know what you’re struggling with exactly.
“But I think I have a pretty good idea, and I’d love to help you if you would open up and receive the help.”
Now it would seem Liz is behind him doing just that.
But The Sun can reveal the couple have been linked for a while — even if they are only now going public.
A source on Christmas In Paradise has told how they first grew close on set, spending long periods alone together.
While they were not seen kissing, crew members were suspicious about a potential love affair as Billy, who was still married to Tish at the time, spoke to almost no one other than Liz.
The movie, released in 2022, was mainly filmed in December 2021.
One of the producers, who wants to stay anonymous, told The Sun: “Anytime I saw him, he was always around Elizabeth.
Billy was very reclusive on set but he would spend lots of time with Elizabeth
Sun source
“They were extremely close.
“I noticed they were getting quite close.
“But he, at the time, was still married to Miley’s mum Tish.
“He’s quite an oddball.
“A bit strange.
“He had security guards with him at all times.
“And no one else was ever with him.”
He added: “That was the first time they ever met.
“They hugged a few times, but I did not think anything at the time.
“But now that I saw they are dating, I thought maybe that’s when it started.
“Billy was very reclusive on set, but he would spend lots of time with Elizabeth.
“They were extremely close considering he was always keeping to himself, always with his security and his manager.
“The only person who was ever really around him was just Elizabeth.
“The rest of the cast was separate.
“It was just Elizabeth and him together.”
Last May, the same month Billy filed for divorce from Firerose, Damian revealed that his mum was “seeing someone”.
But he warned: “We’re both quite private.
“I’ve seen first-hand how devastating relationships in the public eye can become.
“And we’ve both made a decision that until somebody is incredibly serious, we’re not going to speak publicly about who we’re seeing.”
It would appear that time is now.
11
11
