AceShowbiz - Billy Ray Cyrus, 63, opened up about his new relationship with former co-star Elizabeth Hurley. The two met while filming "Christmas in Paradise" on the Caribbean island of Nevis in 2022, but didn't really connect until later.

In an interview on Apple Music Country's "The Ty Bentli Show", Cyrus admitted there were already sparks between them on the movie set but they brushed them off.

"We did very few scenes together but the couple of times we were in the same scene there was a chemistry there," he said. "We just laughed, and it was at a time I wasn't laughing a lot."

For two years, the duo didn't communicate until Cyrus received an unexpected text message from an unknown number during one of the difficult times in his life.

The message, offering friendship and support, turned out to be from Hurley. "Hey, it looks like life might be a little bit tough and just wanted you to know I'm in your corner; you've got a friend in your corner," read the message.

He recalled his reaction, "Of all the people to reach out to me in that second that maybe I needed most… this friend who made me laugh."

Cyrus likened Hurley's message to a supportive note he once received from Johnny Cash during a rough patch in his career.

Cash had encouraged him by saying, "All things that are good come from almighty God above and that stuff happens, and in your case… the good outweighs the bad. Let ‘em have it. I'm in your corner."

Speaking of Hurley, Cyrus gushed, "She's so impressively brilliant. She reminds me a lot of Dolly Parton. She's a very smart businesswoman. If you can laugh together, you can make it through everything."

He also noted that he has a warm relationship with Hurley's 23-year-old son, Damian. "No expectations of where we go from here other than her and her son - I do love him a lot, and it's great that God brought them into my life when he did. It's just a good thing. It's been a long time since I've been this happy."

Cyrus' romance with Hurley came after his previous marriage with singer Firerose ended in 2024. Meanwhile, Hurley, who had been married to businessman Arun Nayar and once dated actor Hugh Grant, shared Damian with the late businessman Steve Bing.