A Nicholas Sparks love story — without the happy ending. Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth dated on and off for a decade before their relationship came to an end following a whirlwind marriage.
The Hannah Montana star met the Australian actor on the set of The Last Song, which hit theaters in March 2010. After falling in love during production, the twosome made headlines for calling it quits and getting back together several times before Hemsworth proposed to Cyrus in June 2012.
“What happened, happened and we’ve been together two and a half years. She makes me really happy,” the Hunger Games star told Details that same year. “When you start, you want to be professional, but when you’re filming those scenes with someone and pretending to love them, you’re not human if you don’t feel something.”
Instead of walking down the aisle, the singer and the actor sparked split speculation in 2013, with their breakup confirmed by September. As the “Wrecking Ball” songstress wrote songs about the broken engagement, Hemsworth gave a rare comment about their relationship to Men’s Fitness in November 2015.
“You fall in love with who you fall in love with; you can never choose,” he said. “I guess some people just come with a little more baggage. I mean, look — we were together five years, so I don’t think those feelings will ever change. And that’s good because that proves to me that it was real. It wasn’t just a fling. It really was an important part of my life and always will be. She’s a free spirit. I think she’ll always surprise people with what she does, but she’s not a malicious person in any way. She’s a young girl who wants to do what she wants to do.”
The following year, Cyrus was wearing an engagement ring again, confirming the twosome were back on.
“I needed to change so much. And changing with someone else not changing like that is too hard. Suddenly you’re like, ‘I don’t recognize you anymore.’ We had to re-fall for each other,” the “Malibu” singer explained to Billboard in 2017.
The pair grew stronger in 2018 when they lost their home in a California wildfire.
”He thinks it’s not romantic, but I learned that it is,” she said of referring to Hemsworth as her “survival partner” on the Howard Stern Show after the November 2018 fire. “That is why you pair up with someone, for survival, and he was so incredible.”
One month later, the duo exchanged vows at their Tennessee home on December 23, 2018.
“I think it’s very confusing to people that I’m married. But my relationship is unique,” she told Elle in July 2019. “And I don’t know that I would ever publicly allow people in there because it’s so complex, and modern, and new that I don’t think we’re in a place where people would get it. I mean, do people really think that I’m at home in a f—king apron cooking dinner?”
That August, news broke that the pair had split as photos of Cyrus packing on the PDA with Kaitlynn Carter surfaced.
“Just a quick note to say that Miley and I have recently separated and I wish her nothing but health and happiness going forward,” he said via Instagram at the time.
Cyrus denied cheating at the time.
“Once Liam & I reconciled, I meant it, & I was committed,” she wrote in a lengthy social media thread. “There are NO secrets to uncover here. I’ve learned from every experience in my life. I’m not perfect, I don’t want to be, it’s boring. I’ve grown up in front of you, but the bottom line is, I HAVE GROWN UP. I can admit to a lot of things but I refuse to admit that my marriage ended because of cheating. Liam and I have been together for a decade. I’ve said it before & it remains true, I love Liam and always will.”
They finalized their divorce in January 2020. While Hemsworth has been dating Gabriella Brooks since late 2019, Cyrus has been seeing Maxx Morando since late 2021.
A Nicholas Sparks love story — without the happy ending. Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth dated on and off for a decade before their relationship came to an end following a whirlwind marriage.
The Hannah Montana star met the Australian actor on the set of The Last Song, which hit theaters in March 2010. After falling in love during production, the twosome made headlines for calling it quits and getting back together several times before Hemsworth proposed to Cyrus in June 2012.
“What happened, happened and we’ve been together two and a half years. She makes me really happy,” the Hunger Games star told Details that same year. “When you start, you want to be professional, but when you’re filming those scenes with someone and pretending to love them, you’re not human if you don’t feel something.”
Instead of walking down the aisle, the singer and the actor sparked split speculation in 2013, with their breakup confirmed by September. As the “Wrecking Ball” songstress wrote songs about the broken engagement, Hemsworth gave a rare comment about their relationship to Men’s Fitness in November 2015.
“You fall in love with who you fall in love with; you can never choose,” he said. “I guess some people just come with a little more baggage. I mean, look — we were together five years, so I don’t think those feelings will ever change. And that’s good because that proves to me that it was real. It wasn’t just a fling. It really was an important part of my life and always will be. She’s a free spirit. I think she’ll always surprise people with what she does, but she’s not a malicious person in any way. She’s a young girl who wants to do what she wants to do.”
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The following year, Cyrus was wearing an engagement ring again, confirming the twosome were back on.
“I needed to change so much. And changing with someone else not changing like that is too hard. Suddenly you’re like, ‘I don’t recognize you anymore.’ We had to re-fall for each other,” the “Malibu” singer explained to Billboard in 2017.
The pair grew stronger in 2018 when they lost their home in a California wildfire.
”He thinks it’s not romantic, but I learned that it is,” she said of referring to Hemsworth as her “survival partner” on the Howard Stern Show after the November 2018 fire. “That is why you pair up with someone, for survival, and he was so incredible.”
One month later, the duo exchanged vows at their Tennessee home on December 23, 2018.
“I think it’s very confusing to people that I’m married. But my relationship is unique,” she told Elle in July 2019. “And I don’t know that I would ever publicly allow people in there because it’s so complex, and modern, and new that I don’t think we’re in a place where people would get it. I mean, do people really think that I’m at home in a f—king apron cooking dinner?”
That August, news broke that the pair had split as photos of Cyrus packing on the PDA with Kaitlynn Carter surfaced.
“Just a quick note to say that Miley and I have recently separated and I wish her nothing but health and happiness going forward,” he said via Instagram at the time.
Cyrus denied cheating at the time.
“Once Liam & I reconciled, I meant it, & I was committed,” she wrote in a lengthy social media thread. “There are NO secrets to uncover here. I’ve learned from every experience in my life. I’m not perfect, I don’t want to be, it’s boring. I’ve grown up in front of you, but the bottom line is, I HAVE GROWN UP. I can admit to a lot of things but I refuse to admit that my marriage ended because of cheating. Liam and I have been together for a decade. I’ve said it before & it remains true, I love Liam and always will.”
They finalized their divorce in January 2020. While Hemsworth has been dating Gabriella Brooks since late 2019, Cyrus has been seeing Maxx Morando since late 2021.
Credit: Sam Emerson/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Costar Couple
The pair met on the set of their film The Last Song in 2009, and sparks flew! “[Liam has] become my best friend in the whole wide world,” Cyrus told Parade. “I love him. He really respects me for who I am because coming from Australia, he really didn’t know me as the celebrity I am here. I got to tell him about myself on my own terms and my own way. He had no preconceived notion of who I was supposed to be.”
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Red Carpet Official
The couple posed for a picture at the 18th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar party in West Hollywood in 2010. “I like when men work hard,” Cyrus has said. “I think it’s important. I always work really hard, so it’s good to have someone who is as passionate about what they do and wants to be great at what they do instead of just OK. We always strive to have our 130 percent.”
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Warm Embrace
Cyrus hugged Hemsworth at The Last Song premiere in L.A. in March 2010. “I think we’re both deeper than normal people — what they think and how they feel,” Cyrus told Teen Vogue of her relationship with the actor. “He’s very grateful for what he has, but he doesn’t let it go to his head. I’m like that, too.”
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Shady Sweethearts
Cyrus flashed the peace sign with Hemsworth while out and about in L.A. in July 2010. “She makes me really happy,” Hemsworth has said of Cyrus. “When you start, you want to be professional, but when you’re filming those scenes with someone [in The Last Song] and pretending to love them, you’re not human if you don’t feel something.”
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On-Again, Off-Again
Cyrus and Hemsworth dated on and off from August 2010 to April 2011.
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Smooching Soulmates
The hotties shared a kiss while vacationing in Hawaii in December 2011. When they can’t be together, the couple uses Skype to stay in touch. “A little bit every day,” Hemsworth tells Us. “For those long stretches apart, just to see her face makes it so much easier.”
That same month, the “Can’t Be Tamed” singer brought the actor as her date to the CNN Heroes Gala in L.A.
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Similar Backgrounds
“I think there’s a masculinity about [Australian men] that’s like growing up in the South, like I did,” Cyrus has said of Hemsworth (at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in West Hollywood in February 2012). “It’s very respectful and they’re a little bit more respectful.”
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Marriage Material
Hemsworth proposed to the Hannah Montana alum with a giant 3.5-carat Neil Lane engagement ring in June 2012.
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Puppy Love
In June 2012, Cyrus tweeted a photo of the two great loves in her life: Hemsworth and their dog, Ziggy. The LOL actress said that once she got engaged, she felt like “all my dreams are coming true.”
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Hollywood Hotties!
The couple were snapped at the Australians in Film Awards and Benefit Dinner in L.A. in June 2012. “I was fortunate enough to get called back in to read [for The Last Song] with my now-fiancée, who I recently got engaged to. And we read together and fell in love and now we’re married,” Hemsworth said, before quickly adding: “Well, not married yet, but we will be! We’re very, very excited. Very happy.”
Credit: courtesy of Miley Cyrus
Crazy for Christmas
The couple posed for a silly photo with Miley’s brother Trace Cyrus and mom Tish Cyrus while celebrating Christmas 2012 together.
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New Year’s Getaway
Celebrating a new year! The couple cuddled up on the beach while watching the sunset in Costa Rica in January 2013.
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Friendly Strangers?
Making their first red carpet appearance together in 14 months, Cyrus joined Hemsworth at the premiere of his film Paranoia in L.A. in August 2013. “Miley and Liam acted like they didn’t even know each other the entire night,” a source told Us. “She was wearing her ring, but they acted as if they were strangers.”
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Calling It Quits
The twosome split in September 2013. Cyrus opened up to Barbara Walters that December about getting engaged at 19 years old. “I was so scared of ever being alone, and I think, conquering that fear, this year, was actually bigger than any other transition that I had, this entire year,” she said during an appearance on Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2013. “I don’t think I realized what 19 truly is, and I got engaged at 19, and I definitely wouldn’t change being engaged.”
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When Exes Hang
The odds were in their favor! After breaking things off with Patrick Schwarzenegger, Cyrus moved on with a very familiar rebound: Hemsworth. “They’ve been hanging out in L.A., but only a few people know,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in April 2015. “Dating could definitely happen.”
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Real Old Love
Their love was anything but fleeting. In his November 2015 Men’s Fitness cover story, Hemsworth said his past relationship with Cyrus was the real deal. “I mean, look — we were together five years,” he told the mag. “So I don’t think those feelings will ever change. And that’s good because that proves to me that it was real. It wasn’t just a fling. It really was an important part of my life and always will be.”
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New Year Reunion!
The exes were spotted cozying up to each other at the Falls Music Festival in Byron Bay, Australia, on January 2, 2016. Fans tweeted about the former flames kissing and cuddling at the event.
Credit: Courtesy Elsa Pataky/Instagram
Family Ties That Tell
After Cyrus and Hemsworth spent New Year’s 2016 together, the “Wrecking Ball” songstress was snapped hanging out at a music festival in Australia with Liam’s sister-in-law, Elsa Pataky. “I love people I can be crazy with!!” Pataky, who married Chris Hemsworth in 2010, wrote on Instagram. “@mileycyrus @martamilans @gisellamarengo #michele #samhemsworth @fallsfestival #bestfriends #fun #music #festival #falls.”
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Movin’ On … Together
Cyrus and two pals were spotted at Hemsworth’s Malibu home in January 2016, unloading a U-Haul truck together. A source told Us that the two “are picking up right where they left off.”
Credit: Courtesy Miley Cyrus/Instagram
What’s That Bling?
Following their reunion in Australia, Cyrus posted several photos of herself in Janaury 2016 sporting an eye-catching diamond ring on her left hand. The bauble looked suspiciously familiar; in fact, it looked just like the 3.5-carat, custom-designed Neil Lane sparkler that Hemsworth gave her in May 2012. A source confirmed to Us that the ring was, in fact, the engagement diamond that Hemsworth gave her when he first proposed.
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Crazy Love
Multiple sources told Us Weekly in January 2016, issue that Hemsworth never gave up on Cyrus, even during her wildest phases. “He’s never met anyone quite like her who has that hold on him,” one insider told Us, while a second source said Cyrus “never really got over” Hemsworth. It took some acceptance of the actor to finally reconsider their romance. “He realizes she was growing up and experimenting; he took a step back and gave her time to do that,” the first source said. “Miley’s always had a special place in his heart.”
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Still Sparkling
Cyrus flashed her engagement ring from her hunky fiancé while walking around the SoHo neighborhood of NYC in March 2016.
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Getting Handsy
Hemsworth and Cyrus held hands during a date night in New York City in September 2016. The two were headed to Catch restaurant in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District to spend some time together.
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Selfie Support
In their first official joint appearance in years, Hemsworth came out to support Cyrus as she was honored at Variety’s Power of Women luncheon in Los Angeles in October 2016, where the “We Can’t Stop” singer was honored. During a moment of downtime, they snapped some adorable selfies.
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A Trip Down the Aisle?
After the couple’s reconciliation, several reports surfaced during 2017 that Cyrus and Hemsworth had secretly wed. However, multiple sources told Us Weekly in January 2018 that the duo have not tied the knot. “Miley hasn’t told any of her friends that she’s married,” one source said. “She would have told people after.”
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Netflix and Chill
The “Malibu” singer’s bestie and Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne told Us in June 2018 that Cyrus and Hemsworth are a “great combination” as a couple. “You can be around them and do absolutely normal, dorky things, trying to figure out where we’re going to eat tonight and what’s on Netflix,” he exclusively told Us at the time. “I know that sounds boring, but sometimes that’s the height of great living, relaxing with your friends.”
Credit: Courtesy of Miley Cyrus/Instagram
Laughing Off the Split Rumors
Cyrus and Hemsworth shot down split rumors in July 2018 after reports emerged that the twosome had an argument over having children. The Hunger Games alum shared a video of himself and Cyrus singing and goofing off in the car on Instagram to show fans that they are still going strong.
Credit: Courtesy of Liam Hemsworth/Instagram
Sweet Strolls
The Australian hottie shared a cute photo walking with the “Nothing Breaks Like a Heart” singer and one of their dogs in August 2018 via Instagram alongside the caption, “Strolls with my girls.”
Credit: Courtesy of Liam Hemsworth/Instagram
Her Hero
After their home burned down in the Woolsey fires, Cyrus praised Hemsworth for saving their animals. “Liam was an amazing hero,” she told Jimmy Fallon in November 2018. “He got all the horses, the pigs, seven dogs, four cats. His truck was [filled]. It was really sexy to me.”
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Date Night
The pair held hands during a New York City date night in December 2018.
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Hot and Heavy
Cyrus boasted about her fiancé’s X-rated characteristics in December 2018, noting via Instagram that he has “good d—k game.”
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Together Forever
“I call him my survival partner now,” Cyrus told Howard Stern of her man in December 2018. “And he thinks it’s not romantic, but I learned that is why you pair up with someone, for survival.”
Credit: Conrad Carr/Instagram
A Big Step
Cyrus and Hemsworth sparked marriage — or rehearsal dinner — speculation the day before Christmas Eve in 2018 when photos and videos of them seemingly cutting a wedding cake surfaced. In one clip of the Australian born actor taking a shot alongside his brothers, large balloons that read “Mr. & Mrs.” could be seen. Cyrus appeared to wear an off-the-shoulder white dress while her love looked dapper in a dark tux with a boutonniere pinned to his jacket.
Credit: Courtesy of Miley Cyrus/Instagram
It’s Official
Cyrus confirmed on December 26, 2018, that the pair tied the knot after she shared multiple black-and-white photos of the couple dressed up in formal attire. “10 years later…” the Disney alum captioned one snap, in which she stunned in a Vivienne Westwood gown. Hemsworth also sported a ring in the pics.
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Wedded Bliss
Us reported in January that the “Malibu” singer was “so happy” following her wedding to the Aussie actor. “She’s finishing up recording her next album and she and Liam couldn’t be happier.”
The feeling was clearly mutual, with Hemsworth telling Extra that same month that he was “very lucky” to share his life with the star.
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Psychic Powers
Cyrus, who took Hemworth’s last name following their nuptials, appeared to have predicted their union way back in 2009, telling Glamour at the time that in 10 years she hoped to be “settled: making movies, living in a house, maybe even married.” Check, check and check!
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Same Couple, Different Status
Cyrus admitted in the March issue of Vanity Fair that married life with Hemsworth didn’t feel much different to her. “I would say that losing the house changed us much more than getting married changed us,” she said. “When you experience what we experienced together with someone, it is like glue. You’re the only two people in the world who can understand.”
She also credits the event for pushing the couple to seal the deal. “I’m not sure without losing Malibu, we would’ve been ready to take this step or ever even gotten married, who can say? But the timing felt right and I go with my heart. No one is promised the next day, or the next, so I try to be ‘in the now’ as much as possible.”
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Just the Two of Them
Though Hemsworth told GQ for its May/June 2019 issue that he hopes to have “10, 15, maybe 20” kids with Cyrus someday, a source told Us in May 2019 that the couple was content with their menagerie of animals. “Miley and Liam know that they are young and they’re just happy living their life right now and not worrying about kids at this time,” the source said, adding, “They consider their dogs to be their kids.”
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10-Year Anniversary
Cyrus celebrated a decade of dating Hemsworth — temporary splits notwithstanding — in June 2019. “Happy 10 year anniversary my love,” she tweeted. “Some things never change … & I hope the way you feel about me is one of them.”
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The End
In August 2019, Hemsworth and Cyrus separated, multiple sources confirmed to Us Weekly. Cyrus was spotted on vacation in Italy with Kaitlynn Carter, just one week after Carter separated from Brody Jenner.
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Breaking His Silence
Hemsworth briefly spoke out about his split from Cyrus two days after Us confirmed their split in August 2019. “You don’t understand what it’s like,” he told The Daily Mail Australia at the time. “I don’t want to talk about it, mate.”
Credit: Courtesy Miley Cyrus/Twitter
Breakup Tunes?
Cyrus teased new music in an Instagram post days after the couple parted ways.
Credit: MEGA
A Warm Wish
“Hi all Just a quick note to say that Miley and I have recently separated and I wish her nothing but health and happiness going forward,” the Isn’t It Romantic star wrote on Instagram in August 2019. “This is a private matter. … Peace and Love.”
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Making It Official
Hemsworth filed for divorce from Cyrus on August 21, 2019, citing “irreconcilable differences.” He hired high-power divorce attorney Laura Wasser.
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Her Side of the Story
The “Slide Away” songstress posted a lengthy rant on Twitter on August 22, 2019, in which she denied being unfaithful to Hemsworth. “I can admit to a lot of things but I refuse to admit that my marriage ended because of cheating,” she wrote in part. “Liam and I have been together for a decade. I’ve said it before & it remains true, I love Liam and always will. BUT at this point I had to make a healthy decision for myself to leave a previous life behind. I am the healthiest and happiest I have been in a long time.”
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Filing Fast
Three weeks after the split, a source told Us that Hemsworth filed for divorce “quickly” because Cyrus was “being so open about her relationship with Kaitlynn.”
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No Angel
After Cyrus and collaborators Ariana Grande and Lana Del Rey released the track “Don’t Call Me Angel” in September 2019, fans speculated that the Hannah Montana alum was taking a dig at Hemsworth, who repeatedly called her “angel” in speeches and on social media during their relationship.
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Pet Peeves?
After Cyrus split from Carter in September 2019, she posted an Instagram caption about her pets loving her “without conditions,” potentially shading both the Hills: New Beginnings star and Hemsworth.
Credit: Shutterstock
Cody Comparison
As her relationship with Simpson got more serious, Cyrus dissed Hemsworth during an October 2019 Instagram Live video. “There are good people out there that just happen to have d—ks. I’ve only ever met one, and he’s on this live ,” she said, referring to Simpson.
Cyrus and Simpson split in August 2020.
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Insta Split
In November 2019, nearly three months after their breakup, Cyrus and Hemsworth unfollowed one another on Instagram.
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Sister-in-Law Shade
Elsa Pataky, the wife of Liam’s brother Chris Hemsworth, reflected on the split in a November 2019 interview. “After a relationship that you’ve dedicated 10 years to, [Liam is] a little bit down, but he’s coping well. He’s a strong boy and he deserves the best.” Then she threw shade on Cyrus: “I think [Liam] deserves much better.”
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Finalized
Us confirmed in January 2020 that their divorce was finalized.
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Mourning the Relationship
Cyrus got candid about her relationship with Hemsworth during a lengthy interview on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast in August 2020. In addition to dishing that her ex-husband was the first man she ever had sex with, she revealed she lied to him about her experience in the bedroom.
“I didn’t go all the way with a dude [until] I was 16 — it wasn’t Nick Jonas — but I ended up marrying the guy. So that’s pretty crazy,” Cyrus quipped. “I lied and said he wasn’t the first so I didn’t seem like a loser. … I made someone up who I knew, then his friend [ended up] marrying him, so I had to say, at 25, that I lied when I was 16. It was a lie I held onto for 10 years, then I was like, no reason to dig old bones up, then it directly affected my life.”
The “Midnight Sky” singer also spoke about their split: “I had a very public, very big breakup that was a 10-year span of a relationship,” she said. “I tried not to get lost in the emotion … It’s like a death when you lose a loved one, it’s that deep. It feels like a death.”
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Two Years Later
Cyrus penned several tracks about Hemsworth on her 2020 album, Plastic Hearts, including a song titled “WTF Do I Know.” In the song, she declared that she doesn’t “even miss” her ex, but she later admitted that isn’t totally the case.
“It’s not that it’s how I feel every second of the day, it’s how I felt for a moment,” Cyrus told Howard Stern about the song in December 2020. “That works as some sort of protective armor and there’s a sense of myself that does feel that way. A record is all of these mason jars filled with something that lights up, that you catch something that’s kind of magical for a moment, but it doesn’t have to be you all the time.”
The singer added that there was “too much conflict” in their marriage.
“When I come home, I want to be anchored by someone. I don’t get off on drama or fighting,” she said before admitted that she will always have feelings for Hemsworth. “I really do and did love him very, very, very much and still do, always will.”
