Firerose is revisiting her relationship with Billy Ray Cyrus with a stark description for the life she says developed on his Tennessee property, a “farm prison.”
The Australian singer alleges that restrictions gradually reshaped her everyday life, limiting her ability to see friends, attend church, leave the property freely and pursue solo recording work. She says the process unfolded slowly enough that the loss of independence became normalized over time.
“I call it farm prison, because that’s what it was for me,” Firerose told Page Six. She characterized the experience as physical, strategic and emotional isolation and described the relationship through the language of coercive control and narcissistic abuse.
A source close to Cyrus disputed Firerose’s latest account and accused her of trying to damage his reputation. The competing versions echo the former couple’s bitter 2024 divorce, when both accused the other of abusive and controlling behavior, while Firerose’s new single “Phoenix” now turns her attention toward what she describes as rebuilding her independence.
Firerose Says the Restrictions Became Part of Everyday Life
Firerose says the changes arrived gradually. In her Page Six interview, she described a growing set of rules that eventually shaped where she could go, who she could see and how freely she could work.
She said she lacked regular access to a car and described ordinary activities such as meeting friends for coffee, attending church or recording solo music as increasingly restricted. The singer said the gradual nature of those changes made the situation harder for her to recognize while she was living through it.
In a separate interview with OK!, Firerose similarly alleged that Cyrus “strategically isolated” her from close friends she might otherwise have confided in. She said calls could trigger anger and described years of manipulation and gaslighting that caused her to question her own instincts.
The Allegations Echo Their Bitter 2024 Divorce
Firerose raised similar concerns while their marriage was ending. In June 2024, she told Page Six that Cyrus maintained “very strict rules,” alleging that friends and relatives were kept away from the home and that she sometimes had to read text messages and emails aloud before sending them.
Court documents obtained at the time by Entertainment Tonight showed that he accused Firerose of physically, verbally and emotionally abusing him and described her claims against him as false. Firerose denied his allegations.
Their legal battle also included accusations involving money and family relationships. Cyrus alleged fraud and accused Firerose of trying to isolate him from relatives, while Firerose accused him of extreme verbal, emotional and psychological abuse. Both sides publicly rejected the other’s account.
A leaked recording later added another element to the dispute. The Los Angeles Times reported that an audio clip captured Cyrus berating Firerose during a heated argument, Cyrus subsequently said he had reached his “wit’s end” and continued to dispute her broader account of the marriage.
The Divorce Ended Through a Mediated Settlement
Cyrus and Firerose married in October 2023 after announcing their engagement the previous year. Cyrus filed to end the marriage in May 2024, and a Tennessee court declared them divorced that August after the former couple reached a settlement through mediation.
Court documents obtained by Us Weekly showed that Firerose received no cash payment or spousal support in the settlement. Cyrus agreed to relinquish his claims to credits and royalties connected to songs the pair wrote or published together. The Los Angeles Times confirmed that the former spouses reached a mediated settlement after weeks of public accusations.
Cyrus said through his representatives that he was relieved to end the marriage, while a source close to Firerose said concluding the dispute mattered more to her than continuing a fight over money. Because the case ended in settlement, the competing abuse allegations were never resolved through a trial verdict.
‘Phoenix’ Turns Firerose’s Focus Toward What Came After
Firerose released “Phoenix” on October 2 as the first single from a forthcoming album currently expected in early 2027. She says she wrote the song during an especially difficult period, imagining the freedom she hoped eventually to experience.
In her OK! interview, Firerose described prayer, therapy, supportive friendships and music as central parts of rebuilding her life. She said the process has transformed what she experienced into a broader sense of purpose and allowed her to reconnect with an artistic identity she felt had been diminished.
The official video, directed by Chris Applebaum, translates that idea into two contrasting visual worlds. Applebaum described the concept as a movement between darkness and light, destruction and rebirth.