The Miley Cyrus And Liam Hemsworth Relationship Timeline
Aug. 12 2019, Updated 6:39 p.m. ET
For Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth it was pretty much love at first sight after they met on the 2009 set of The Last Song, but the road to romantic bliss was paved with some big bumps.
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From being too young when they first got engaged, to the pop star’s identity crisis after shedding her Disney Channel persona, to flings with other people ... the two almost didn’t make it.
MORE: Miley & Liam Say 'I Do' At Family's Tennessee Ranch
Through all the ups and downs the two remained good friends — and it was with that bond that they finally realized how they were made for each other.
Here’s the timeline of how Cyrus and Hemsworth found their way to happily ever after ... and then back to break-up.
June 2009: Cute on set.
On set romances happen all the time and Cyrus and Hemsworth were not immune to the power of playing young lovers starring together in the Nicholas Sparks adaptation The Last Song. The sparks ... oh, they did fly!
What he said:
Hemsworth once told Details magazine, “She makes me really happy. When you start, you want to be professional, but when you’re filming those scenes with someone and pretending to love them, you’re not human if you don’t feel something.”
What she said:
Cyrus once revealed to Seventeen magazine (via MTV News) that Liam didn't really want the role at first. "I'm thinking, 'Here's this guy, he's amazingly good-looking, super-confident, and he doesn't realize how blessed he is to be in this room, because I know how blessed I am,'" she recalled. "Then I started talking with him, and he was just the most genuinely precious, sweet person. And the second audition comes around, and the chemistry was instant. From the time he walked in that door and we saw each other again, we both lit up, and we were excited to get to work and learn together."
November 2009: Just BFFs.
Although rumors were rampant that they were dating Cyrus was still just calling Hemsworth her "best friend” – for the most part.
What she said:
Telling Seventeen that she wanted to keep her personal life private the singer said, "We've decided that any type of relationship that we have, we will always just keep it very DL. First and foremost, we are best friends, so that's what I tell people all the time."
March 2010: Red carpet debut as a couple.
The couple made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscars event AND at the premiere of The Last Song, which confirmed their status of “dating.” Too cute for words.
June 2010–May 2012: Some ups and downs.
The relationship went through a rough patch. The off times were blamed on work schedules and taking a “time out.” Cyrus said her cutie was still the inspiration for many songs on her third album Can’t Be Tamed. It looked like the young couple found their footing and took their relationship in a more serious direction.
What she said:
"There are a lot of songs that are about Liam," Cyrus told MTV News. "All of them are about him in a way, but it's also about past relationships that you gotta get over and move on and just about freeing yourself from anything that you feel holds you back."
June 2012: They’re engaged!
After attending the L.A. premiere of Hemsworth’s movie The Hunger Games, where Cyrus was spotted wearing a huge diamond ring on that finger, the two announced their engagement. By the way, that ring was a 3.5-carat diamond from Neil Lane.
What she said:
“I’m so happy to be engaged and look forward to a life of happiness with Liam,” Cyrus told People at the time. And later, she told Ellen DeGeneres that the wedding "has to be perfect" and "has to be like a soundtrack in a movie. "
February 2013: Cheating rumors surface.
After being engaged for over a year, wedding plans had not progressed. Cyrus was pretty peeved at Perez Hilton who claimed she was cheating on Hemsworth with Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick.
What she said:
Firing back at Perez Hilton the pop star tweeted, “hope you find love one day but can you not f*** with mine. I've never been with Ed W in my life. I was at the studio last night.”
March-July 2013: Still engaged but cracks are showing.
The pop star was spotted without her engagement ring at various times, and the two were rarely seen together in public.
What he said:
Cyrus’ dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, told Nightline, "They're young, they're kids. The great news is they're great friends. And if you end up getting married, that's your business too, you know?"
August-October 2013: Engagement is off … and Miley goes a little wild.
After it was apparent that Cyrus and Hemsworth did indeed call off their engagement, the singer went on a wild streak to show that she was no longer a Disney Channel princess. It started with her performance with Robin Thicke at the 2013 MTV VMAs. The singer's twerking and sticking out her tongue became her signature moves. Meanwhile, the The Hunger Games star was spotted making out with Mexican actress and singer Eiza Gonzalez, and Cyrus unfollowed him on Twitter.
What she said:
Cyrus told Cosmopolitan in December 2013: "This is the best time of my life. I'm not going to look back on it and be like, 'I wish I hadn't been dwelling over a breakup,' you know? Because that's not what God wants my life to be about right now."
November 2014: Miley and Patrick Schwarzenegger date.
Cyrus and Schwarzenegger, who had been friends for a while, were snapped kissing while hanging out together at a USC football game in L.A. — and suddenly “Piley” becomes a thing.
What they said:
"She thinks he's hot, she thinks he's cool," a source told Us Weekly. "Patrick is a nice good guy. He's grown up in Hollywood just like her and it was only a matter of time before they hooked up."
April 2015: Miley breaks from Patrick — says she’s pansexual.
They called it quits after just five months of dating after Schwarzenegger was seen whooping it up with another girl on spring break trip to Mexico. Later, Cyrus was seen getting cozy with model Stella Maxwell, and rumors started to really fly about the singer's sexual orientation.
What she said:
Cyrus admitted she’s had “boyfriends and girlfriends,” explaining to Elle UK, “I’m very open about it – I’m pansexual. But I’m not in a relationship. I’m 22, I’m going on dates, but I change my style every two weeks, let alone who I’m with.”
October-December 2015: Miley and Liam rekindle the spark?
Pansexual or not the couple started posting a few cryptic moments on social media — such as Cyrus helping him adopt a dog, which led many to believe they were getting back together.
What he said:
Hemsworth told Men's Fitness that being with Cyrus was "an important part of my life," adding "you fall in love with who you fall in love with; you can never choose."
January 2016: Miley shows up in Australia — and the engagement ring makes an appearance!
Trough a series of fun Instagram posts, Cyrus was seen Down Under with Hemsworth and his family including Chris Hemsworth and wife Elsa Pataky. The singer was snapped wearing the Neil Lane ring.
What they said:
A source soon confirmed to People that the couple was engaged again. “Miley is beyond happy to be engaged to Liam again. It might seem sudden, but they have been very close for the past few months. They just wanted to keep their relationship out of the spotlight while they figured things out,” adding the two were “making changes for their relationship to work. They both seem much more mature.”
April-December 2016: It’s totally back on.
Cyrus and Hemsworth were all over the other’s Instagram accounts, and they looked very happy indeed.
What she said:
Cyrus once again confirmed the re-engagement on The Ellen Show. "It's very weird because this is, like, real jewelry, and most of my jewelry is made out of gummy bears and cotton candy. They don't look that good together because they kind of mix up."
What he said:
In an interview with GQ, Hemsworth admitted the breakup was hard on him. “At the time we were going in different directions and it’s just what needed to happen. We were both super young and it was a good decision at the time — we both needed that.”
May 2017: Miley releases new love song about Liam.
After taking her turn as a coach on The Voice, Cyrus got back into recording mode and released a song “Malibu,” which was about the love of her life and how they were embarking on something new.
What she said:
Telling Billboard at the time, “They’re going to talk about me if I come out of a restaurant with Liam. So why not put the power back in my relationship and say, ‘This is how I feel’?” She also gave some insight into why they broke up, saying she was going through a major life change, “And changing with someone else not changing like that is too hard. Suddenly you’re like, ‘I don’t recognize you anymore,'” adding they had to “refall for each other.”
September 2017: Not quite ready to walk down the aisle.
It seemed like the two were content just being together with no immediate plans for a wedding.
What she said:
Cyrus told The Sun (via W magazine), "I don't envision marriage. I'm 24. I hope I get to live a little bit more ... Three years ago, if you’d asked me if I’d be here, this happy with this man, I’d have been stunned. I’m just riding this out. In some relationships, you lose yourself by being with someone else. Actually, it made me find myself more. I have no idea what the next three years will bring, but if it’s possible to get even happier, I’ll take it.”
October 2017: First red carpet appearance in years.
The couple attended the premiere of Thor: Ragnarok supporting Hemsworth's big brother. There were collective sighs about how sweet they looked.
What she said:
The pop star also told The Sun that she and Hemsworth actually had a private friendship while they were apart. “I didn’t know we’d get back together. I’m so crazy I have no idea. But I had something in my heart, it never felt like it was really over. We kept a great friendship really private. It’s good for people to have that space to grow individually. Otherwise when you’re with someone from 16 until 24, you grow into the same person.”
November 2017: Miley’s pregnant?
Pregnancy rumors sparked when Cyrus posted an InstaSnap of herself in an oversized gray shirt with the caption “#VeganTurkeyBaby.”
What she said:
She responded to the pregnancy thing with an Instagram Story writing, "Not pregnant just eating a shit ton of tofurkey. Rude!!!!"
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March 2018: Glam night out.
The couple made another rare red carpet appearance together at the 90th Academy Awards. First they attended Elton John's annual AIDS Foundation viewing party and later, the Vanity Fair after party.
November 2018: Liam and Miley’s home burns down in the Malibu fires.
After the horrific fires raged through Malibu, Hemsworth shared an image of their home in ashes with a sign that said “LOVE” left intact.
What she said:
Cyrus told Howard Stern that her man scored major points for single-handedly saving their four horses, two pigs, seven dogs and three cats from the Malibu fires. "He got a lot of action for saving the animals ...Yeah, he got a lot of action. We had to make sure he knew I was very, very grateful."
December 2018: They finally get married!
While it was private the couple tied the knot and let everyone know with a few Instagram pics.
What she said:
The singer revealed to Vanity Fair that losing their Malibu home was the impetus for finally get married. “What Liam and I went through together changed us. I’m not sure without losing Malibu, we would’ve been ready to take this step or ever even gotten married, who can say? But the timing felt right and I go with my heart. No one is promised the next day, or the next, so I try to be ‘in the now’ as much as possible.”
February 2019: Married ... but still queer.
Miley also told Vanity Fair that she and Liam are not putting any expectations on their marriage — they are just going to be. You go, Miley and Liam!
What she said:
“The reason that people get married sometimes can be old-fashioned, but I think the reason we got married isn’t old-fashioned — I actually think it’s kind of New Age," Cyrus said to Vanity Fair. We’re redefining, to be f***ing frank, what it looks like for someone that’s a queer person like myself to be in a hetero relationship. A big part of my pride and my identity is being a queer person.”
August 2019: It’s Over!
Barely a year after their marriage vows were spoken, Cyrus and Hemsworth have called it. The pair, who have been on and off for over a decade, decided to go their separate ways in a move that shocked fans of both artists. Hemworth went home to Australia to be his with family and Cyrus headed to Italy with Brody Jenner's ex, Caitlynn Carter. Now they have to decide who is going to get custody of their fur babies.
