NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Billy Ray Cyrus admits to berating estranged wife Firerose in leaked audio recording

Bang Showbiz
24 Jul, 2024 09:43 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Billy Ray Cyrus can be heard calling his ex-wife Firerose a 'selfish b****' and a 'f****** idiot' in the leaked audio recording. Photo / Getty Images

Billy Ray Cyrus can be heard calling his ex-wife Firerose a 'selfish b****' and a 'f****** idiot' in the leaked audio recording. Photo / Getty Images

An explosive audio recording has been leaked of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus berating his estranged wife Firerose as the two prepare to battle out their divorce in court.

Billy Ray Cyrus branded Firerose “dumb” and “selfish” in an expletive-filled rant.

The Achy Breaky Heart hitmaker’s estranged wife has accused the 62-year-old singer of subjecting her to months of “extreme verbal, emotional and psychological abuse” and a new audio tape seems to back up her allegations as he berated her during a row that appeared to be related to his timings for a performance.

Cyrus addressed the recording in a statement made on Instagram soon after it was leaked to the press.

He admitted to going on the tirade against his ex-wife yet stopped short of apologising for his actions, instead writing that he was at his “wit’s end” at the time of the recording and claiming that Firerose was trying to “take over” his life.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“Hell yeah I was at my wit’s end,” he wrote. “As every day went by, I started realizing something was wrong. And that’s before I knew she was a fraud.

“I just knew something wasn’t right. That was before I knew she was David Hodges ex-wife. That’s before I knew her parents last name. I had no idea she was arrested for felony residential burglary.

“I saw before my very own eyes, everything I thought I knew about her, was a life. She was trying to take over my career, my life and usurp the Cyrus name for own gain.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“See you in court,” Cyrus added at the end of the statement.

Billy Ray Cyrus admitted to berating his estranged wife Firerose on Instagram shortly after the audio recording was leaked. Photo / Instagram @billyraycyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus admitted to berating his estranged wife Firerose on Instagram shortly after the audio recording was leaked. Photo / Instagram @billyraycyrus

Audio obtained by DailyMail.com and Us Weekly magazine hears Cyrus say: “I needed to leave two hours ago.”

Firerose replied: “No you didn’t, you can still leave.”

Her spouse then yelled: “Get the f*** out of here. I had to go when I was ready to go. If you had just shut the f*** up …”

The Australian singer then urged the country star to “please stop screaming” at her, which only further infuriated him.

He ranted in response: “If you would’ve left it the f*** alone. If you would’ve left it alone when I told you, it’s done. Now I’m really f****** p*****. You once again showed me you will not listen. I don’t know who the f*** you think you are but you will not f****** listen.

“This ain’t about your BRCA, this ain’t about your surgery, this ain’t about nothing. This is about you being a f****** selfish b****.”

The Some Gave All singer then declared he didn’t think his wife was “real smart”.

Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose made a guest appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show soon after their wedding on October 10 last year. Photo / NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose made a guest appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show soon after their wedding on October 10 last year. Photo / NBCUniversal via Getty Images

He added: “I’ve changed my damn mind on that s***. What you are is a selfish b****.

“You cannot continue to walk all over me and think that I’m going to go out in public with your dumb a** and f****** have you do this s*** anywhere you want in front of whomever.”

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Firerose then asked if her spouse was referring to “screaming at me right now,” and he replied, “This would not be happening if you were to just shut your f****** mouth. Look what a f****** mess you’ve made. What a dumba** f****** thing to do.”

The 35-year-old beauty insisted she just wanted the country star to be “happy” but he retorted: “No. F*** you. F*** you. You know better than that. F****** idiot.”

Firerose previously claimed she found Cyrus’s rants “terrifying”.

She told the New York Post newspaper’s Page Six column last month: “He would rage at me, shout at me at the top of his lungs. He would terrify me, yelling, ‘You stupid dumb f****** b****, crazy w****.

“It was illogical and insane and terrifying.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by FIREROSE CYRUS (@firerose)

And after Cyrus’ lawyers made public a handwritten note allegedly from his estranged wife in which she begged for “a chance to make this right”, Firerose insisted it didn’t mean he hadn’t been abusive.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She said: “He’s attempting to use my loving notes as proof that he could not have been abusing me because I love him. But it’s because you love them that you tolerate this behaviour.”

Cyrus has previously “vehemently” denied allegations that he was abusive toward Firerose and he himself is accusing her of abuse in his own court documents.

Additional reporting by NZ Herald.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Entertainment

Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton to be awarded honorary Oscars

18 Jun 07:26 AM
Entertainment

Watch: Behind the scenes at this year's Smokefreerockquest and Showquest

18 Jun 06:00 AM
Entertainment

Smokefreerockquest Regional Finals - Wellington

Sponsored: Embrace the senses

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton to be awarded honorary Oscars

Tom Cruise, Dolly Parton to be awarded honorary Oscars

18 Jun 07:26 AM

Dolly Parton will receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her charity work.

Watch: Behind the scenes at this year's Smokefreerockquest and Showquest

Watch: Behind the scenes at this year's Smokefreerockquest and Showquest

18 Jun 06:00 AM
Smokefreerockquest Regional Finals - Wellington

Smokefreerockquest Regional Finals - Wellington

Smokefreerockquest Regional Finals - Manawatū

Smokefreerockquest Regional Finals - Manawatū

Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP