Billy Ray Cyrus shared a statement on his Instagram story on Wednesday (July 24) amid his ongoing divorce from estranged wife FIREROSE.

Cyrus, 62, filed for divorce from FIREROSE, 37, in May, citing “irreconcilable differences” and “inappropriate marital conduct.” The country star alleged fraud and is seeking an annulment. Since then, Cyrus and FIREROSE have made allegations against one another in court filings, including Cyrus accusing his estranged wife of lying about her name and a previous marriage. He apparently alleged that “Hodges” is not her real maiden name — Johanna Rose Hodges — but rather the last name of an ex-husband. Cyrus appeared to reference FIREROSE’s name and more in the statement he shared on Wednesday, which also arrives after an audio recording reportedly surfaced of an argument between the couple, per E! News, PEOPLE and other outlets:

“Hell yeah I was at my wit’s end. As very day went by, I started realizing something was wrong. And that’s before I knew she was a fraud. I just knew something wasn’t right. That was before I knew she was David Hodges’ ex-wife. That’s before I knew her parents’ last name. I had no idea she was arrested for felony residential burglary. I saw before my very own eyes, everything I thought I knew about her, was a lie. She was trying to take over my career, my life and usurp the Cyrus name for her own gain. See you in court.”

The statement appears over a black-and-white-photo of a rose framed by flames. A representative for FIREROSE, an Australian singer-songwriter who recently announced that she became a U.S. citizen, previously told TMZ, in part, that “Billy Ray’s story keeps evolving and this filing is simply another abusive tactic to distract away from the serious, true allegations brought against him, backed by an abundance of evidence. ...What Billy Ray fails to recognize is when you have a decades-long history of emotional and psychological abuse, people start to take notice. The truth will come to light.”

“With regards to this recording, Ms. Hodges is the person who made the recording without telling Mr. Cyrus that she was recording him,” Cyrus’ lawyers said in a statement to E! News. “Unfortunately, Ms. Hodges is attempting to litigate her case in the press for her own personal gain and in an attempt to harm our client's longstanding career, as she promised she would do if he tried to divorce her, which Mr. Cyrus alleged in a previous court filing.”

FIREROSE and Cyrus are splitting up after less than a year of marriage. They tied the knot in October 2023. Cyrus divorced his first wife in 1991. He remarried Tish Cyrus, mother of five of the country artists children, in 1993. That marriage ended in early 2022 after nearly three decades. Cyrus and Tish share: Brandi Cyrus, Trace Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, Braison Cyrus, Noah Cyrus. He also has son Christopher Cody from a previous relationship.

Denise Plante