Hannah Montana fans noticed that one very familiar face was missing from the 20th anniversary special that premiered this week.
Miley Cyrus' dad, country star Billy Ray Cyrus, who also played her on-screen father, 64, in the Disney Channel TV series, was nowhere to be seen, despite appearing in the special itself.
The singer and actress was instead supported by other members of the Cyrus clan, including her mom, Tish Cyrus, and older sister, Brandi.
Since the beloved show first aired back in March 2006, Billy Ray played the role of Miley Stewart's dad, Robby Ray Stewart, for five years.
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So fans were surprised to see that the musician didn't appear alongside his daughter on the red carpet on Monday (23 March).
After Hannah Montana came to an end, Miley and Billy Ray were reportedly estranged for several years following a complex family feud; however, they thankfully now have a positive relationship after reconciling in early 2025.
Why Billy Ray Cyrus skipped the Hannah Montana anniversary premiere
As for why he didn't attend the premiere, Billy Ray explained that he simply had work commitments he couldn't get out of.
Taking to Instagram, the father-of-six revealed he'd been busy at work in the recording studio alongside children Braison and Noah the evening of the premiere.
He wrote, “Been in the studio all night in Nashville working on my new record with my youngins Braison and Noah preparing for our @todayshow performance Good Friday!” he captioned his post. Dang feels like this is my ‘Sweet Niblets’ Sweet 16 on the road to the Final Four!”
For context, 'Sweet niblets' was a phrase often used by Billy Ray and Miley on Hannah Montana.
During the premiere, Miley referenced the previous difficulties in their relationship as she said: "I think that when me and my dad are good, people feel better. It just feels good when the Cyruses are getting along.”
Billy Ray Cyrus and Miley Cyrus' family feud
Although the two have now mended their relationship, there was a time when things weren't so smooth sailing.
It's been widely reported that the 'Wrecking Ball' singer stopped speaking to her dad for several years in the midst of her parents’ 2022 divorce.
Tish and Billy Ray divorced in April of 2022, after more than 28 years of marriage, which caused his relationship with Miley to fray.
In an interview with Monica Lewinsky's podcast Reclaiming with Monica Lewinsky, in June last year, she said: "Half of us weren't speaking to each other at one point, and we cleaned all that up.
"That was a really important part of my year this year, was all of my family putting those lines of communication back together. A lot because of, you know, I had a lot of loyalty to my mom, the way that families do when parents get divorced."
The country singer also previously said in 2011 that while it had its positives, working together on Hannah Montana was somehow 'driving a wedge between them'.
He told GQ: "How many interviews did I give and say, ‘You know what’s important between me and Miley is I try to be a friend to my kids’? I said it a lot. And sometimes I would even read other parents might say, ‘You don’t need to be a friend, you need to be a parent.’ Well, I’m the first guy to say to them right now: You were right."
The father and daughter reconcile
But, in a May 2025 interview with The New York Times, she confirmed that the pair are no longer estranged.
She told the publication, "I think timing is everything. As I’ve gotten older, I’m respecting my parents as individuals instead of as parents - because my mom’s really loved my dad for her whole life, and I think being married to someone in the music industry and not being a part of it is obviously really hard.
"And so I think I took on some of my mom’s hurt as my own because it hurt her more than it hurt me as an adult, and so I owned a lot of her pain."
Miley added: "But now that my mom is so in love with my stepdad, who I completely adore, and now that my dad, I see him finding happiness, too - I can love them both as individuals instead of as a parental pairing."
Speaking about her dad's relationship with Elizabeth Hurley, she added, "I’m being an adult about it. At first, it’s hard because the little kid in you reacts before the adult in you can go, 'Yes, that’s your dad, but that’s just another person that deserves to be in his bliss and to be happy.' My child self has caught up."
And in September 2025, Miley released a song called 'Secrets,' which was about mending her relationship with her father.
She wrote on Instagram at the time: "This song was written as a peace offering for someone I had lost for a time but always loved. In my experience, forgiveness and freedom are one and the same."
Topics: Miley Cyrus, Celebrity, Disney, Entertainment, Parenting, TV And Film
Madison Burgess