Billy Ray Cyrus reveals heartfelt text from Elizabeth Hurley ignited their romance after Firerose divorce

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: Billy Ray Cyrus may have been going through one of the darkest chapters of his life, but a simple text message from Elizabeth Hurley managed to bring a flicker of light. And at first, he didn’t even know it was her.

The country music legend, 63, opened up in a recent interview on Apple Music Country’s 'The Ty Bentli Show', sharing how the British actress reached out with a surprise message during his emotional spiral following his divorce from Firerose.

Elizabeth Hurley's surprise text to Billy Ray Cyrus

The text, which came at a time when Billy Ray Cyrus said he felt “flattened” by life, read, “Hey, it looks like life might be a little bit tough and just wanted you to know I’m in your corner; you’ve got a friend in your corner.”

Touched but puzzled, Cyrus allegedly replied, “Who is this?” in an excerpt obtained by People.

When the sender revealed herself as Elizabeth Hurley, he was floored.

“Of all the people to reach out to me in that second that maybe I needed most… this friend who made me laugh,” he reflected.

Cyrus and Hurley, 59, had previously worked together on the 2022 holiday film 'Christmas in Paradise.' While their scenes were limited, their connection was unmistakable.

“We did very few scenes together but the couple times we were in the same scene there was a chemistry there,” Cyrus shared. “We just laughed, and it was at a time I wasn’t laughing a lot.”

After filming, they lost touch, and during that gap, Cyrus’ whirlwind romance with Firerose took a dramatic turn.

Billy Ray Cyrus finds love with Elizabeth Hurley

Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose, who married in 2023, endured a stormy relationship filled with abuse allegations before divorcing just seven months later.

The split was finalized by August 2024.

Reflecting on that emotionally exhausting period, Cyrus admitted, “Wow, can life get any harder? Can it get any tougher?”

“For me, at a certain point it was like, you can’t get knocked down any flatter than laying on your back when life is kicking you,” he said.

The 'Achy Breaky Heart' singer added, “And in this moment… a friend reached out.”

That “friend” soon became more than just a friendly shoulder.

On Easter Sunday, Cyrus and Hurley confirmed their budding romance, sharing a cozy Instagram photo of the singer kissing Hurley as they both leaned against a picket fence. 

A source told Page Six that the romantic spark was a recent development, noting, “The romantic side started only a few weeks ago.”