How Miley helped her heal

Tish Cyrus is sharing the emotional toll of enduring two life-altering events in quick succession, the death of her beloved mother and the end of her 28-year marriage to Billy Ray Cyrus.

In a heartfelt conversation with Tay Lautner on her podcast ‘The Squeeze,’ Cyrus, 58, described the period as “the roughest thing I’ve ever gone through.”

“Two of the most probably tragic things in my life that happened, I did not, like, process or even stop to really think,” she told Lautner on January 14. “I’ve been very open that I was a major weed smoker. For that, because I’ve always had a little bit of anxiety, that was almost like medicine for me.”

Cyrus explained that after her mother, Loretta Finley, whom daughter Miley Cyrus affectionately called “Mammie,” passed away at 85 in 2020, she barely had time to process the loss before her marriage began to crumble. 

“I was very close to my mom, and my kids were really close to my mom,” she said. “Once that was all over, we had got her a little house right beside ours. She was just a massive part of our lives. Her and Miley were very close. She’d go to the set with Miley and just my kids just worshiped her … when she passed, not long after that, my marriage started falling apart.”

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Cyrus filed for divorce from Billy Ray in April 2022, citing “irreconcilable differences” and noting she had not lived with him since February 2020. “I thought I was going to be alone forever. And that was one of the times that I had the crippling breakdown of anxiety. I joke about it and say I had a complete psychological breakdown. There were 30 days where I was not eating, sleeping, just felt like I was just coming out of my skin. And it was really scary,” she told People in 2024.

She admitted to “self-medicating in some ways” during this period. “I do think at that time, that was almost like medicine for me, because I’m a huge believer in plant medicine, and I think that I probably during the time I lost my mom and my marriage fell apart, that was like self-medicating in some ways, and I didn’t even realize that I was doing it for that reason,” Cyrus said.

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When she decided to stop smoking, the suppressed emotions returned with intensity. “I do think it kinda numbed all that pain and then I stopped smoking and all of a sudden a week later, I’m just in full-on anxiety to the point of not functioning,” she explained. 

“And I did not know what was happening.” She recalled the time as a year spent “just trying to survive,” adding, “I was not functioning for that year, I was just trying to survive.”

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Therapy became a turning point. Cyrus credits talking openly about her life and experiences, including raising children in the spotlight, with helping her confront her anxiety. 

“When I started therapy, and I really started talking about my life and moving out here and my kids in the business and, what my life had been, they were like, ‘Wow.’ ” She also found guidance through her daughter, Miley, who recommended the book ‘The Body Keeps the Score,’ which helped her understand how unprocessed trauma affects the body.

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Cyrus now describes herself as much more grounded and able to manage her anxiety, though she admits it still appears unexpectedly. “This morning, I was really anxious, and about nothing really. But I’m learning to control it,” she told Lautner.

A new chapter in her personal life has also helped. Cyrus married actor Dominic Purcell in 2023 and describes the relationship as a stabilizing force. “It was so safe,” she said. “Just no drama … I think it gave me this place to stand still and, like, feel all these feelings.” Despite this stability, she is quick to emphasize that healing is ongoing. 

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“There was no less suffering for me …. I’m sure anyone that has experienced anxiety at that level, it is horrible. Absolutely horrible, and it lasted a long time. And I just now am really learning how to deal with it, and I’m so much better.”

Cyrus’ journey has inspired her to become more involved in mental health advocacy. “The worst part of it is you feel so alone. You feel like you’re the only person in the world dealing with it. When I would hear other people talk about it [I would] realize, like, ‘You can overcome it.’” 

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She continued, “It really is hard to see when you’re in it. But I think just hearing other people is so, it’s probably the most helpful thing.” Reflecting on the entire ordeal, Cyrus admits it took years to fully process both grief and heartbreak. 

“Anything that’s happened I’m kind of like, ‘Well that’s life, just keep it moving,’” she said. “I’d been in this relationship since I was 23 or 24 so, again, I kept it moving.” Even now, she emphasizes the importance of patience and self-care, noting that navigating anxiety is an ongoing process.

From losing her mother to ending a decades-long marriage, Tish Cyrus’ story is a candid look at resilience, mental health, and the difficult path toward finding peace. Through therapy, personal growth, and the love of her family, she has emerged stronger, committed not just to surviving but to advocating for others who face similar struggles.