Billy Ray Cyrus Blames 'Hannah Montana' TV Show for Family Problems

[Brian Damage]

It's been a tough, scandal-filled year for Billy Ray Cyrus. The singer recently opened up to GQ Magazine about his relationship with his daughter, Miley, and revealed some regrets about the show that made her famous.

According to the New York Post, Cyrus told the magazine he blames the Disney show 'Hannah Montana' for the current trouble in his family, which includes a divorce from wife, Tish.

"I hate to say it, but yes, I do. I'd take it back in a second," he said of the show, which shot Miley into stardom.

He also claims he's been made the "fall guy" for whenever negative news surrounds his family, referencing his daughter's Vanity Fair cover shoot controversy in which the teenage star was photographed with just a sheet covering her.

"Every time the train went off the track ... her people, or as they say in today's news, her handlers, every time they'd put [the blame on] me ... I took it because I'm her daddy ... OK, nail me to the cross," he told GQ.

Cyrus said he worries about the people surrounding his daughter and helping her make career decisions.

"I'm scared for her," he said. "She's got a lot of people around her that's putting her in a great deal of danger. I want to get her sheltered from the storm."

His revelations come in light of Miley's recent drug scandal. A video was released last December showing the 18-year-old reportedly smoking salvia from a bong.

Cyrus tweeted about the incident shortly after the video hit the web.

"Sorry guys. I had no idea," the concerned father wrote. "Just saw this stuff for the first time myself. I'm so sad. There is much beyond my control right now."

When Cyrus approached his daughter's handlers about the incident, he was told it was "none of his business."

The singer has reportedly been estranged from Miley since the incident, describing their communication as "good enough to know it could be a lot better."

http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/mile...#ixzz1E12fKXo6

[catlover79]

Sorry, Billy, but you could've been more vigilant while your underage daughter was getting herself mixed up with embarrassing photo ops and messing around with a bong. Not that I'm giving Miley a free pass here, but he's the parent and the adult. He AND her mother should've kept a closer eye out on her.

[Marvo301]

Originally Posted by catlover79

Sorry, Billy, but you could've been more vigilant while your underage daughter was getting herself mixed up with embarrassing photo ops and messing around with a bong. Not that I'm giving Miley a free pass here, but he's the parent and the adult. He AND her mother should've kept a closer eye out on her.

I agree! Blaming a TV show for all your family's problems is just a cop out. Billy should take responsibility for his own shortcomings as a father and as a husband and stop blaming other people and other entities for his problems.

[Dianne3]

Does anybody here know much about Miley's mother?

I for the longest time didn't know much however I recently read that when she was around Miley's age she had her first child and I think a second one not long after. She was a rock groupie.

Her father is rightfully criticized, but what about her mother?

[Brian Damage]

Originally Posted by Dianne3

Does anybody here know much about Miley's mother?

I for the longest time didn't know much however I recently read that when she was around Miley's age she had her first child and I think a second one not long after. She was a rock groupie.

Her father is rightfully criticized, but what about her mother?

I really don't know much about her mom, but neither she or Billy Ray were doin' much complaining when those Disney checks started pouring in.

[catlover79]

I will give Billy credit for saying this:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504744_1...-10391703.html

In addition to his regrets about doing the show, Cyrus says he also wonders about his parenting. He told the magazine he was never capable of disciplining his six children.

GQ: Mr. Hannah Montana's Achy Broken Heart

Cyrus said, "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. I should have been a better parent. I should have said, 'Enough is enough--it's getting dangerous and somebody's going to get hurt.' I should have, but I didn't. Honestly, I didn't know the ball was out of bounds until it was way up in the stands somewhere."

[Marvo301]

Originally Posted by catlover79

I will give Billy credit for saying this:

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504744_1...-10391703.html

In addition to his regrets about doing the show, Cyrus says he also wonders about his parenting. He told the magazine he was never capable of disciplining his six children.

GQ: Mr. Hannah Montana's Achy Broken Heart

Cyrus said, "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. I should have been a better parent. I should have said, 'Enough is enough--it's getting dangerous and somebody's going to get hurt.' I should have, but I didn't. Honestly, I didn't know the ball was out of bounds until it was way up in the stands somewhere."

As my Dad would say "too late smart"! It's good that he figured he needs to be a better parent. It's just to bad he didn't figure it out until after his daughter went off the deep end.

[catlover79]

It seems like a lot of these devout Christian, southern families just saw their lives implode once they moved to Hollyweird. There's the Spears family, the Simpson family and of course the Cyrus family. They've all faced divorces, pregnancies out of wedlock, and other calamaties. Makes you wish they'd stayed where they'd come from and saved themselves a lot of heartache. All the money in the world can't buy happiness, as we've learned time and time again.

[Regulus]

Originally Posted by catlover79

It seems like a lot of these devout Christian, southern families just saw their lives implode once they moved to Hollyweird. There's the Spears family, the Simpson family and of course the Cyrus family. They've all faced divorces, pregnancies out of wedlock, and other calamaties. Makes you wish they'd stayed where they'd come from and saved themselves a lot of heartache. All the money in the world can't buy happiness, as we've learned time and time again.

SECONDED!

[Marvo301]

Originally Posted by catlover79

It seems like a lot of these devout Christian, southern families just saw their lives implode once they moved to Hollyweird. There's the Spears family, the Simpson family and of course the Cyrus family. They've all faced divorces, pregnancies out of wedlock, and other calamaties. Makes you wish they'd stayed where they'd come from and saved themselves a lot of heartache. All the money in the world can't buy happiness, as we've learned time and time again.

Well said Monika!

[catlover79]

That whole situation just got me thinking. You had the Spears family, out of Louisiana. Then came the Simpson family from Texas, and finally the Cyruses out of Tennessee. Of course, Billy Ray was no stranger to the spotlight, but his career seemed to have waned until he became the star of the drama series Doc, which aired on the now-defunct PAX network. Then Miley auditioned for Hannah Montana and the rest is history. All seemed to have strong, Christian faith and morals even at the beginning of their rise to fame. Britney, Jessica and Miley had all announced their intentions to stay pure until marriage, and Jessica and Ashlee's dad had been a minister at one point. Then (in no particular order):

* Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus file for divorce after nearly 17 years of marriage, and then he falls out with Miley. (I don't know what his relationship is like with his other 5 kids - he adopted Tish's two oldest kids when they married.)

* Miley had all her embarrassing fallouts with photo ops, the bong, pole dancing, etc.

* 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears, who became a star in her own right (at least to the tween set) becomes pregnant out of wedlock.

* Jessica Simpson marries Nick Lachey, has that godawful reality show, they break up and she starts tarting up her former good girl image big time. Then she had the high profile romances with John Mayer and Tony Romo before becoming engaged to another guy. I wish her all the best. She'll need it!!

* Ashlee Simpson becomes pregnant out of wedlock, marries the father of her baby and now they have split up.

* Their father Joe, in the past, has raved about Jessica's bosom. He was responding to the rumor that she'd had implants, to which he retorted, "Jessica never tries to be sexy. She just is sexy. If you put her in a T-shirt or you put her in a bustier, she’s sexy in both. She’s got double D’s! You can’t cover those suckers up!" (If my father ever said anything like that about me - which, thank God, he wouldn't - I'd put myself up for adoption! )

* By the way, Jessica and Ashlee, if I were you, I'd fire your dad (who has been their manager right from the start). For your own sakes and sanity, cut that cord!!!! For that matter, I think Tish Cyrus was/is Miley's manager, and we all know what happened when Dina Lohan became her daughter's manager.

* Britney's scandals - too many to count!!

* Two of the three sets of parents have split up - Jamie and Lynne Spears, and now Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus.

Again, I'm not judging or casting aspersions - I'm just pointing out what can happen to families in show business, especially those who are fresh and green out of the Bible Belt. I think ALL the parents are guilty of enabling their star kids and trying to be their pals instead of their parents (Billy Ray himself recently said as much). I heard a quote from L&O's Lennie Briscoe (the late, great Jerry Orbach) that says it all: "When you're on the gravy train, you don't shoot the conductor".

I think the bottom line is that these families have proven once more that money and fame does NOT ensure happiness. My good friends Brenda & Wendi Turnbaugh (Grace Ingalls, Little House on the Prairie) have both told me how happy they were to have a normal life. LHOP was their only acting job, and they moved with their family to upstate CA after the show. Both girls are happy, well-adjusted young women today. Brenda said that the best gift her parents gave her and Wendi was - a childhood.

[lucyandethel]

maybe he's just upset because his career wasn't half what his daughter's is.

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by lucyandethel

maybe he's just upset because his career wasn't half what his daughter's is.

That could be true, but it was because of the success of the show that he became a name again, began recording again, and became known for something else besides "Achy Breaky Heart". As for Miley, now that the show has ended, I think she'll have a tough time of it. She'll be typecast, and Disney still isn't pleased with her off-screen shenanigans. But only time will tell!!

[MrCleveland]

I think Miley's career is done....

I think child actors should try to keep their careers once they hit 13 and 18. Look at Shirley Temple, her career basically ended when she couldn't get the role of Dorth Gale in "The Wizard of OZ".

[Marvo301]

Originally Posted by catlover79

That could be true, but it was because of the success of the show that he became a name again, began recording again, and became known for something else besides "Achy Breaky Heart". As for Miley, now that the show has ended, I think she'll have a tough time of it. She'll be typecast, and Disney still isn't pleased with her off-screen shenanigans. But only time will tell!!

A few child stars manage to make the transition to being adult stars (Jody Foster comes to mind) but the majority don't. I suspect Miley will be a part of the majority who struggle to make that transition.