The surprising secret past of Billie Ray Cyrus’s Aussie wife Firerose

EXCLUSIVE

Music legend Billy Ray Cyrus‘s mysterious Australian country singer wife ‘Firerose‘ was once gawky Johanna Rosie Scholem who grew up in suburban northern Sydney.

Mystery has surrounded the Australian songstress after the 36-year-old wed Cyrus, 62, in October last year, only for the marriage to blow up with explosive allegations just a few months later.

Cyrus filed for divorce earlier this year citing ‘irreconcilable differences’ and ‘inappropriate marital conduct’ for what led to their split.

Amid claims of fraud and abuse, Firerose claimed their split was payback for her revealing she planned to undergo a preventative double-mastectomy breast cancer operation.

Now, Daily Mail Australia can reveal new details of the secret early life of Cyrus’s wife which she even kept from her husband.

Firerose is the eldest of three girls whose mother Debbie is a retired professional violinist and father Stephen is a retired general practitioner.

He operated his medical clinic from their humble suburban family home in North Ryde.

Unearthed photos from social media show a vastly different looking Firerose from the cowboy-boot-clad blonde bombshell she is today.

A family photo from the early 2000s reveals a beanpole Firerose sporting raven hair, pinned tightly down to her scalp unlike the luscious long blonde locks she has today.

Firerose grew up Jewish and her family worshipped at North Shore Temple Emanuel.

But she has never shared any photos of her Sydney-based family on social media. 

Prior to moving to Los Angeles in 2006, she attended Newtown’s esteemed School for the Performing Arts and graduated in 2005 on the Distinguished Achievers List.

After moving to the U.S., she reinvented herself as a country singer and went on to record a duet with Cyrus, titled New Day, in 2021.

The couple’s relationship snowballed, recording four more tracks before announcing their engagement in November 2022 – despite a falling-out with Cyrus’s superstar daughter Miley.

Firerose has also faced a battle with sobriety. 

Two months ago she marked eight years of clean-living by sharing an uplifting message in which she praised God for helping her stay strong.

‘Eight years sober today by the grace of God!’ the After the Storm singer posted. ‘Eight years ago, God performed a miracle in my life.’

‘One day at a time since then, I’ve given my will and my life over to Him. He’s been loving and faithful in all promises and never left my side,’ she added.

‘It’s only by God’s love and His wonderful grace that I get to remain sober and share that hope with others still suffering in addiction.’

Firerose said she ‘couldn’t be more incredibly grateful’ for the ‘gift’ of sobriety, before sharing an inspiring message to fans who may be facing adversity in their own lives.

Newlywed husband Cyrus commented on the post: ‘So proud of you!!!!’ 

Just days later though, on May 23, Cyrus filed for divorce. In his petition, Cyrus cited irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct as the primary reasons.

He had allegedly grown suspicious of her background and of the last name she had given him after discovering ‘Hodges’ was not in fact his wife’s maiden name. 

He alleged the Australian musician ‘had lied’ about her name ‘to induce marriage’ and there were ‘additional things in her background she [was] hiding from him’.

Cyrus also filed for a restraining order to prevent her accessing his bank accounts after he claimed Firerose ran up $97,000 of debt on his credit cards in a fortnight. 

In June, Firerose claimed in an interview that Cyrus had constantly screamed at her and made her feel like a ‘prisoner’ in their Tennessee home during their marriage.

She branded Cyrus an ‘evil man’ and detailed her own claims of domestic abuse during the two years they were together, including their seven months married.

She alleged he subjected her to verbal and emotional abuse after she told him she had to get the double mastectomy and that changed his behaviour towards her.

Firerose claimed Cyrus had said he would pay for the procedure, but she was left scrambling for cash after he filed for divorce.

She claimed the weeks leading up to her preventative double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery – recommended by her doctor in March – were ‘chaos’.

According to Firerose, she met Billy Ray more than 10 years ago on the set of Hannah Montana, the Disney series in which Billy Ray’s daughter Miley starred as the lead.

In a 2021 Live with Kelly and Ryan interview, she explained how they initially crossed paths.

‘We actually met 10 years ago on the set of Hannah Montana, and Billy Ray’s been a phenomenal supporter of my music ever since,’ she said.

‘He’s just really believed in me and continued to tell me to pursue my dreams no matter what and not give up.’

Firerose and Billy Ray wed in October last year, but filed for divorce in late May.

She was his third wife. He was married to Cindy Smith from 1986 until 1991 and Miley Cyrus’ mother Tish from 1993 to 2022.

While it’s unclear when they started dating, they reportedly grew close after working on music together in the summer of 2021.

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