Billy Ray Cyrus’ Dog Introduced Him to Future Wife Firerose 14 Years Ago

Man’s best… wingman? Billy Ray Cyrus owes a lot to his dog Tex, after his beloved canine introduced him to now-wife Firerose more than a decade ago. 

The newlywed couple sat down for a joint appearance on Thursday’s episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, opening up about the kismet way they first crossed paths 14 years ago as Firerose was leaving an audition in Hollywood. 

“It is actually a funny story,” Firerose says. “Billy’s dog at the time, Tex — who was the most beautiful German Shepherd you’ve ever seen — he was tapped in to some divine purpose because we were, at the time, just friends.”

Billy Ray was married to Tish Cyrus for 28 years, during which time they split up and filed for divorce three times, reconciling repeatedly until Tish’s final filing in April 2022. In the filing, it was noted that the two had not lived together since February 2020, and she cited irreconcilable differences as the grounds for their divorce. 

Billy Ray previously recounted his meet-cute with Firerose in an interview with People, revealing that they met on the set of Hannah Montana, the TV series he starred in with his daughter, Miley Cyrus. 

“I loved doing that show,” he said of the Disney Channel program, which ran for four seasons from 2006 to 2011. “There’s a couple old pine trees on the lot that look like Tennessee. [My dog] Tex and I would go out there in the middle of the day and he’d take care of his business and we’d stretch and I’d think how much I missed Tennessee. On that given day, Firerose came out of the front door. There was almost a moment of, I don’t know, recognition. I was like, ‘This girl’s a star.'”

After Firerose petted Billy Ray’s dog, she told him she’d had an audition that day for a part she didn’t get. He decided to step in and put her in touch with producers and other executives he knew. 

“I think she met a lot of the cast and met the producers, writers. And, in some ways, well, in a lot of ways, we became friends,” Billy Ray shared.

The 62-year-old “Achy Breaky Heart” singer married Firerose on Oct. 10 in an “ethereal celebration of love.” 

“10/10/23 will always be the beautiful, joyous day that our two souls united as one in holy matrimony,” they captioned the post, which features the happy couple embracing on a mountaintop. Billy Ray kept things traditional with a black suit, while Firerose wore a long-sleeved lace gown and flowing veil, with makeup done by Jessica Candage.

“It was the most perfect, ethereal celebration of love we could have ever imagined. For both of us to hear the preacher say, ‘Billy Ray and Firerose Cyrus… I now pronounce you husband and wife’ that was the sacred moment our new forever began. Long Live Love!”

The couple got engaged in August 2022.

Billy Ray and Firerose’s nuptials came less than two months after Tish married Prison Break actor Dominic Purcell in an intimate ceremony, with Miley by her mom’s side as the maid of honor.

In addition to Miley, 30, Tish and Billy are parents to Trace, 34, Braison, 29, and Noah, 23. Tish shares daughter Brandi, 36, with her ex, Baxter Neal Helson, while Billy also has a 30-year-old son, Christopher Cody, with Kristin Luckey.

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