Billy Ray Cyrus: Big Regrets, No Parental Control

The transformation of Disney's Hannah Montana star, Miley Cyrus, has been watched with various emotions ranging from dismay to disgust by many fans who hate to see the young singer and actress headed down the Hollywood primrose path. Miley's father, Billy Ray, has now spoken up about his role in the whole mess and why he stepped away from the picture. Billy Ray admits that he went along with in an interview with Chris Heath for GQ, but he put the majority of the blame on Miley's handlers and the Hannah Montana show:

"I'll tell you right now," the "Achy Break Heart" singer said, "the damn show destroyed my family."

Billy Ray said he wished that he could take it all back and his family could be with him in Tennessee (where he was interviewed at his mansion), "and just be everybody okay, safe and sound and happy and normal, would have been fantastic. Heck, yeah. I'd erase it all in a second if I could." Billy Ray pointed out that he has never made any money off his daughter's success and even when he worked on the Hannah Montana Show, it was for "peanuts." He stepped out of the picture when he realized that he was being used.

"Every time something happened in Miley's career, every time the train went off the track, if you will -- Vanity Fair, pole-dancing, whatever scandal it was -- her people, or as they say in today's news, her handlers, every time ... they used me every time ..." This was done in an attempt to make it appear that Billy Ray approved of what was gong on. He finally drew the line at Miley's 18th birthday party because it was held inside a bar where she should not have been.

Billy, like a lot of parents whose children are listening to bad advice, feels helpless and sorry now ... sorry for his own part and taking so long to take a stand. He owned his mistake in trying to be a friend rather than a parent to Miley:

"How many interviews did I give and say, 'You know what's important between me and Miley is I try to be a friend to my kids'? I said it a lot. And sometimes I would even read other parents might say, 'You don't need to be a friend, you need to be a parent.' Well, I'm the first guy to say to them right now: You were right. I should have been a better parent. ..."

A lot of folk are laughing at Billy Ray for this interview. Some are sensationalizing selected parts of the article while others say they don't think he deserves an ounce of sympathy.

For myself, rarely do I feel any sympathy for celebrities, especially when their problems appear self-inflicted but not just because they are self-inflicted. As I have often said, they have access to resources that many people with the same type of problems don't have. Yes, they live it the public eye, but that is also a choice and they can choose to get out of the public eye. Ironically, Billy Ray Cyrus talks in the interview about stepping away from show business and purchasing his home in Tennessee right after Kurt Cobain died.

I don't think he did this interview for sympathy though. I think he is just opening up about his honest feelings. Sometimes when you are being honest about something negative in your life, you quite naturally feel bad and people get the idea you're looking for sympathy.

Perhaps he is also hoping that his public criticism of her "people" will open his daughter's eyes.

Source:
GQ: Mr. Hannah Montana's Achy Breaky Heart (3/2011)