Elizabeth Hurley says having grown children has made her relationship with Billy Ray Cyrus easier. After years of fitting family life around school schedules, the actress is enjoying a romance with fewer parenting responsibilities to juggle.
Hurley, 61, discussed the change with journalist Roya Nikkhah on the October 23 bonus episode of Off Air with Jane & Fi. Cyrus, 65, has six children, while Hurley shares her son, Damian, with the late Steve Bing.
At 24, Damian is the youngest of their combined family. Cyrus’s children are Brandi, Trace, Christopher, Miley, Braison and Noah, all of whom were adults before the couple got together.
Hurley and Cyrus first met while filming the 2022 holiday comedy Christmas in Paradise on Nevis. They later reconnected and made their relationship public on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025, with a photograph of Cyrus kissing her cheek.
Hurley Remembers the Demands of Raising Young Children
Hurley compared her current family life with the years she spent dating late Australian cricketer Shane Warne. His three children were around Damian’s age or a little older, and all four were still at school.
That meant coordinating school runs and holidays alongside everything else the children needed. She remembered searching the house for a missing tennis racket, one of the frantic morning tasks she is happy to have left behind. “It’s more grown up and it’s easier,” she said of life with Cyrus, according to Us Weekly.
She still feels the change in her role as a parent. “Sometimes I miss being a hands-on mummy,” Hurley admitted, explaining that adjusting to being needed less can take time even when she welcomes the freedom.
Damian Has Spoken Warmly About Cyrus and His Children
Damian offered his own view of his mother’s relationship in a February 19 interview with The Standard. He described Cyrus as “a very sweet boyfriend who I adore” and also spoke affectionately about the singer’s children.
The model and filmmaker was then preparing to move into a Chelsea apartment he had been renovating for several years. He remained close to his mother, with the two coordinating their schedules for visits to her countryside home. He said their similar personalities could sometimes get on each other’s nerves, too.
Damian had also lived part-time in Australia while Warne dated his mother. After the cricketer’s death in 2022, he described Warne as a father figure during his formative years.
Their Los Angeles Plans Include a Shared Rental While Hurley Films
Hurley told Nikkhah that she and Cyrus planned to live together in Los Angeles. She had explained the arrangement earlier in October on The SheerLuxe Podcast: they would rent a house for around four months while she filmed The ‘Burbs, according to PEOPLE.
Cyrus has also spent time at her English home. In the newer interview, Hurley said his earlier visits to England had largely been brief touring stops, but he had since enjoyed extended stays with her.
As Parade detailed, their daily habits differ. Hurley likes winter evenings by the fire and tries to maintain a disciplined sleep schedule when jet-lagged. Cyrus is more comfortable sleeping or working whenever the mood takes him, including making music in the middle of the night.
Her Ring Photos Prompted Engagement Speculation
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Hurley’s October 12 Instagram photographs showed her in a white bathrobe on the set of The ‘Burbs, wearing a large ring on her left ring finger. Three days later, Cyrus added a diamond-ring emoji to a post about his music and an upcoming NASCAR appearance.
Asked about a possible proposal in Los Angeles on October 17, Cyrus changed the subject to the instrument he was carrying. “I got me a new guitar,” he replied, according to InStyle.