Billy Ray Cyrus comments on his divorce from Firerose

Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose have finalized their contentious divorce, reaching a settlement through mediation.

Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose have finalized their divorce after a turbulent seven-month marriage. The settlement was reached through mediation last Friday, and the court declared the divorce official on Monday.

Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose, whose real name is Johanna Hodges, have finalized their divorce, ending their contentious seven-month marriage. Cyrus' attorneys, Rose Palermo and Jason Talley, confirmed the settlement in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. "This past Friday, the parties reached a settlement agreement at mediation to dissolve their 7-month marriage, and the Court declared the parties divorced this morning. Mr. Cyrus is relieved to put this nightmare behind him," they said.

Cyrus expressed his relief in his own statement, saying, "I’m just very relieved… and giving thanks today to breathe a sigh of relief. This has been absolutely the most crazy insane scam I have ever heard of. Let alone the fact I’m right in the center and basically the target of the scheme. It’s unfortunate… it played out this way … not only was it a web of lies that put me in physical danger …. It was a matter of the heart. Love is blind … that’s for sure."

Cyrus filed for divorce on May 22, citing irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct, and sought an annulment on the grounds of fraud. Firerose filed her own complaint on June 14, alleging verbal, emotional, and psychological abuse, and claiming she felt unsafe living with Cyrus. Her complaint also cited his alleged drug use and its impact on his behavior.

In a social media post on July 24, Cyrus accused Firerose of attempting to take over his career and the Cyrus name. A source close to Firerose told PEOPLE that she chose to "walk away without fighting for money to be done with the volatile relationship." The source added, "If this went to trial, Firerose and her team would have provided a significant amount of evidence to prove he fabricated a narrative that would benefit his public image."

Cyrus and Firerose went public with their relationship in 2022, after Cyrus' split from his ex-wife Tish Cyrus. They first met on the set of Miley Cyrus' Disney Channel series Hannah Montana over a decade ago and married last October after a yearlong engagement.