Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose (born Johanna Hodges) have settled their divorce, according to a statement from the country star's lawyers posted on his Instagram Monday (August 5).
The message from attorneys Rose Palermo and Jason Talley says the settlement was reached on Friday (August 2) and that the former couple were declared legally separated three days later. “Sir. Cyrus is relieved to put this nightmare behind him,” he says. . Cyrus believes this validates his claim that his ex-wife's only motivation for marrying him was to acquire his last name.”
The post also included a statement directly from the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer. “I am very relieved,” he wrote. “This was absolutely the craziest crazy scam I have ever heard of… It wasn't just a web of lies that put me in physical danger… it was also a matter of the heart. Love is blind… that's for sure.”
A source close to Firerose reacted in a statement shared with Advertising sign: “If this had gone to trial, Firerose and her team would have provided a significant amount of evidence to prove that he fabricated a narrative that would benefit his public image. There is no doubt that she would have been awarded a divorce, but it was far more important for her to end this ongoing smear campaign and end the emotional turmoil so that she could close the door on this chapter and recover peacefully from her surgery.” .
The source also said the Australian singer opted to settle for $0, wanting to end her relationship with Cyrus once and for all. They added that Firerose filed for Cyrus' last name shortly after they got married — not a few weeks ago, as Hannah Montana the star claimed.
Cyrus filed for divorce on May 22, citing “irreconcilable differences” and “marital misconduct” seven months after the couple married. In a subsequent filing on June 13, Cyrus requested an emergency motion accusing Firerose of making nearly $100,000 in unauthorized “fraudulent” credit card charges while seeking a temporary restraining order to stop her, accusations her lawyers called “untrue ».
After Cyrus filed for divorce, Firerose accused him of domestic abuse, saying he was psychologically abusive during their marriage and calling the country star “unpredictable and unstable” due to alleged substance abuse. She also claimed that she filed for divorce one day before her scheduled preventive double mastectomy. In a statement shared with Advertising sign, Cyrus' lawyers “vehemently” denied the allegations and said that while he was “certainly vocal, frustrated and angry … the plaintiff is the one who, in fact, has been abused. Not only verbally and emotionally from the accused, but PHYSICALLY.”
The source close to Firerose, however, claims that in a previous divorce settlement, Cyrus had included a clause requiring her to say she was lying about having BRCA, also known as the “breast cancer” gene. The source claims it was rejected after Firerose provided her test results and medical records proving otherwise, adding that her surgery is set for later this month.
In July, a 90-second audio clip of Cyrus berating Firerose for apparently being late to an event was leaked online. “Of course, she was intentionally on her best behavior since she knew the recording was taking place,” Cyrus' lawyers responded to the leak in a statement shared on Advertising sign. “If Mr. Cyrus really was the person that Ms. Hodges wants the court of public opinion to believe by releasing her one-sided tape, then it is strange to try to explain why Ms. Hodges begged to come back to live with him and Mr. Cyrus to give her a chance to 'explain everything' after filing for an annulment or dissolution of their marriage.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/billy-ray-cyrus-firerose-settle-divorce-1235747136/
