EXCLUSIVE: Country Queen Dolly Parton, 79, 'Worried' Her Longtime Pal Billy Ray Cyrus is 'Bound to be Hurt' by British Maneater Elizabeth Hurley
Dolly Parton is worried pal Billy Ray Cyrus may be hurt by British actress Elizabeth Hurley.
May 13 2025, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
Country queen Dolly Parton's friendship with love-challenged Billy Ray Cyrus goes way back, and RadarOnline.com can reveal she's worried his new girlfriend, British maneater Elizabeth Hurley, will leave him with an achy breaky heart.
Time is of the essence as the unlikely romance seems to be heating up fast.
Elizabeth Hurley's flirty new fling with Billy Ray Cyrus has Dolly Parton on edge.
An insider said: "Dolly's worried that Billy Ray is out of his weight class with Liz. For all his faults, she's still close to him and knows he's vulnerable and bound to hurt in this flirty charmer, who's the very definition of high maintenance."
Cyrus, 63, and Hurley, 59, got the internet buzzing by posting an Easter photo of him kissing her on the cheek. They shared another picture of them taking a sunset bike ride in an off-road vehicle.
The two apparently hit it off on the set of the 2022 movie Christmas in Paradise, but it wasn't until after Cyrus's marriage to singer Firerose crashed and burned last year that he and the still-stunning actress started getting romantic.
"It's just been beautiful," Billy Ray says of his connection with the Austin Powers star. "It's been a long time since I've been this happy."
Ironically, the country stud compared Hurley to Parton in a recent interview.
Miley Cyrus' godmother Parton fears Hurley will shatter Billy Ray's fragile heart.
"She's so impressively brilliant," he gushed. "She reminds me a lot of Dolly Parton. She's a very smart businesswoman."
Cyrus toured with Dolly, 79, in the early 1990s, and they've collaborated on some projects since then. She's also the godmother of his famous daughter, Miley.
"Dolly thinks Billy Ray's got stars in his eyes by acting like Liz is his Juliet," shared the insider. "She isn't one to meddle in someone else's business, but she's making an exception in this case."
Hugh Grant's ex, Hurley, may leave Billy Ray crying, warned longtime pal Parton.
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Billy Ray is already a three-time loser in marriage.
Along with the Firerose catastrophe, he was wed to Tish Cyrus for 28 years before their 2022 divorce and was married to his first wife, Cindy Smith, for five years.
Meanwhile, Liz famously dated Hugh Grant for 13 years and was married to Indian businessman Arun Nayar from 2007 to 2011. She has a son, Damian, 23, with the late moneybags Steve Bing.
The source said: "Dolly dreads Billy Ray will handle it if Liz tires him up and spits him out as everyone expects. Liz tends to get infatuated and bored pretty quickly. She can be ruthless, and Dolly's worried that Billy Ray is like putty in her hands."
