Country singer obtains important court order in controversial divorce proceedings

NASHVILLE – Country music star Billy Ray Cyrus has won a major victory in his contentious divorce proceedings against his wife Firerose, regaining full control over the use of his credit cards.

After a hearing in Williamson County, Tennessee, this month, a judge granted Cyrus’ request for a temporary restraining order against Firerose.

Cyrus filed for divorce on May 23 in Williamson County, south of Nashville, after nearly seven months of marriage.

Cyrus, 62, filed for the restraining order in June, claiming she spent $96,000 through unauthorized use of his credit cards after he filed for divorce.

The judge found that Firerose, 37, an Australian-born singer whose real name is Johanna Rosie Hodges, had “no legitimate reason to access Cyrus’ cards and make additional charges” and banned her from using those cards effective immediately, People magazine reported, citing the order.

After Cyrus quietly filed for divorce in May, the case became increasingly complicated.

Firerose accused Cyrus of “extreme verbal, emotional and psychological abuse,” according to Hollywood Life. Cyrus responded with his own court filing, which states, “Although Plaintiff would admit that he was certainly vocal, frustrated and angry with Defendant in May 2024, it is Plaintiff who was actually abused… Not only verbally and emotionally by Defendant, but also PHYSICALLY by Defendant.”

Following the court’s order regarding the credit cards, Firerose’s lawyers told People that the judge found no wrongdoing on the part of their client, which they said refuted Cyrus’ claims of “fraud” and “abuse.”

Cyrus’ attorneys argued that “Ms. Hodges was not authorized to use Mr. Cyrus’ business credit card to make the charges she made. To the extent that Mr. Cyrus had already informed American Express that the charges were disputed as fraudulent because Ms. Hodges was neither an authorized user of his business credit card nor had he been authorized to make the charges she made on his credit card, the judge entered a judgment prohibiting Ms. Hodges from further accessing Mr. Cyrus’ business or personal accounts.”

The judge ordered the couple to exchange information about income and expenses, as well as asset and debt statements, and to come to a “good faith agreement” by August 31 at the latest, People reported.

Cyrus, the father of Miley Cyrus, has been active in the country music scene for decades and has had 11 songs make it onto the Billboard Hot 100. His song “Achy Breaky Heart” was in the top 100 for almost half a year in the 90s. In 2019, he teamed up with rapper Lil Nas X for “Old Town Road,” which spent 19 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

He teamed up with Firerose for a musical collaboration in 2021. At the time, she described Cyrus as her “longtime buddy and mentor,” according to People. The pair released two more collaborations in 2022, the last being a version of “Silent Night” in an Instagram post in December. A fourth release, “Plans,” followed in the summer of 2023.

They married a few months later.