5 Biggest Unanswered Questions About Elizabeth Hurley and Billy Ray Cyrus’s Surprise Relationship 

Did anyone else’s Easter Sunday pause when that photo of Elizabeth Hurley and Billy Ray Cyrus dropped?.

After the initial “OMG,” we started obsessing over some actual confirmed information, like the fact that the country star, 63, and British actress and model, 59, were friends first after meeting on the set of Father Christmas Is Back in 2021.

Now? We’re accepting that these two are really a couple and this isn’t a stunt to promote a forthcoming Hallmark movie in which a down-on-her-luck British single mom gets her stilettos stuck in some horse dung before being rescued by a moody cowboy with hidden depths. But, we still have a few big questions about this most unlikely of unions …

Whose Idea Was That Wild Photo?

Kids these days prefer a soft launch; a mystery hand in an Instagram story subtly hinting at a new love interest, perhaps. Middle-aged people, it seems, go hard or go home.

The double denim, the matching sunglasses, the loud, proud song that soundtracked the post — Elton John’s I’m Still Standing — this launch was no accident. And it must mean they’re serious. Hurley’s son, Damian, 23 (whose godfather is, in fact, Elton John!) told Hello magazine in 2024 that he and his mom are very private about their relationships until they’re fully committed.

“We’ve both made a decision that until somebody is incredibly serious, we’re not going to speak publicly about who we’re seeing,” he said. Sure, they haven’t spoken publicly, as such, but actions speak louder than words, and there’s a lot of action in that photo! Neither Hurley or Cyrus have ever been attention-shy, of course, but this is next level.

What on Earth is Elizabeth Hurley’s Type?

Hurley has been in a number of high-profile relationships over the course of her career. It was her 13 year romance with the ultimate English gentleman Hugh Grant that first made her a star, but she’s also been involved with a hard-partying sportsman — the late cricket player Shane Warne, who she dated from 2011 to 2013 — and several less high-profile but powerful businessmen, like her ex-husband, the Indian tycoon Arun Nayar (they were divorced in 2011 after four years of marriage), and producer Stephen Bing, Damian’s father, who died in 2020.

Dating a country star, especially one with a colorful back story of his own, is another huge curveball. And she’s pretty different from his exes too: Firerose, who he divorced in 2023, was 27 years younger than him, while these two are totally age-appropriate, with their four-year gap. Plus, Firerose and his previous two wives, Tish Cyrus and Cindy Smith, were all-American blondes, not the archetypal English rose like Hurley.

By going against type, have Hurley and Cyrus met their match?

How Much Hair Product Do They Get Through?

One thing this pair very clearly have in common? Great hair! We can only imagine how much shampoo and conditioner they use between them; if this one works out, perhaps they’ll be looking at a joint endorsement deal.

What Do Their Kids Think of All This?

Like every true Gen Z, Damian Hurley already expressed his approval via emojis, but what Cyrus’s brood — Brandi, Trace, Christopher, Braison, Noah and, of course, Miley — think of the relationship remains a mystery for now. Us did discover that Noah is the only Cyrus child that Hurley keeps up with on Instagram, so maybe Noah is a fan of the bunny ears!

Shall We Just Be Happy for Them and See What Happens?

Both Hurley and Cyrus have had a lot of drama and heartache in their lives. They’re old enough to know their own minds. That Instagram post was no accident: they obviously want the world to know they’re in love or, at the very least, an awful lot of lust.

Yes, their relationship is probably the most unlikely celebrity gossip we’ve heard all year, uniting the world in disbelief as it appears to straddle industries, social classes and large bodies of water, but it’s also just so fun. Whether you’re a fan of one, both or neither of them, you’ve got to be here for the ride — just like they are.