Trace Cyrus Was Adopted by Billy Ray Cyrus as a Child — Who Is His Biological Father?
"The day you adopted me was the happiest day of my life."
Published Jan. 23 2025, 12:26 p.m. ET
Singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus is a proud father of six, but not all of his children are biologically his. Two of them, Brandi and Trace Cyrus, are adopted — a fact that's long been known but recently sparked renewed interest.
On Jan. 23, 2025, Trace shared a lengthy and slightly concerning Instagram post mentioning his adoption and expressing growing concern for his dad’s well-being. The heartfelt post has since left fans wondering: Why was Trace adopted, and who is his biological father?
Billy Ray Cyrus adopted Trace Cyrus when he was a child.
Trace and his sister, Miley Cyrus, in 2020.
Billy Ray adopted Trace when he was a young child after marrying Tish Cyrus on Dec. 28, 1993, according to his IMDb bio. Trace legally changed his name to Trace Dempsey Cyrus after the couple tied the knot. However, Billy and Tish’s relationship began earlier, in 1991, just before Billy released one of his biggest hits, "Achy Breaky Heart."
When Billy met Tish, she was divorced from Baxter Helson, whom she had married in 1986 and split from in 1989. During their marriage, they welcomed two children: Brandi, born on May 26, 1987, and Trace, born on Feb. 24, 1989. This makes Baxter Helson the biological father of both Brandi and Trace.
As for Billy Ray's other children, he shares three with Tish. Their daughter Destiny Hope Cyrus, who we all know as Miley Cyrus, was born in November 1992. The couple continued growing their family before marriage, welcoming Braison Cyrus in May 1994 and Noah Cyrus in January 2000. After tying the knot, they stopped having children together.
Billy Ray has six kids altogether. His eldest son, Christopher Cody Cyrus, was born in April 1992 to Billy Ray and his ex-girlfriend Kristin Luckey, presumably after they had split and Billy began dating Tish.
Trace Cyrus says the day Billy Ray adopted him was the "happiest day of his life."
In a heartfelt yet concerning Instagram post shared on Jan. 22, 2025, Trace reflected on the day Billy Ray adopted him, calling it one of the happiest days of his life. "Since my earliest memories all I can remember is being obsessed with you and thinking you were the coolest person ever. I wanted to be just like you," he wrote.
Trace explained that the reason for his lengthy and open post was because "Me and the girls have been genuinely worried about you for years but you’ve pushed all of us away." He added that the man he once dreamed of becoming like is now someone he "barely recognizes."
Trace also called out Billy Ray for not being present for his daughter Noah, who, according to Trace, has longed for her father to be an active part of her life. "You haven’t even been there for her," he confirmed.
"We are all hanging on to memories of the man we once knew and hoping for the day he returns," Trace continued, but also noted, "As I write this with tears in my eyes I hope you realize this message only comes from a place of love and also fear that the world may lose you far too soon. I love you, Dad."
It seems Billy Ray's relationships with his children have been strained for some time. Notably, Miley left her father out of her 2024 Grammy acceptance speech for "Flowers."