What happened between Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth?

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth dated for nearly a decade and were even married. But their relationship did not have staying power. Why did they split? Here is what happened.

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth met in the audition room for 2010’s romantic drama The Last Song. Thousands auditioned to play opposite Cyrus’ Veronica Miller character. Once the male talent pool was whittled down to three, Hemsworth found himself among the potential candidates for the role.

In 2023, Cyrus recalled the experience acting with Hemsworth and how their love blossomed. “I think one of the elements that made that movie feel so special was it was watching two very young people fall in love with each other, which was happening in real time and in real life, so the chemistry was undeniable,” she said.

Their love for one another led to two engagements and nearly a decade together. While they did split for three years (2013-2016), they gravitated back to each other and picked up where they left off. Of course, their love affair was cut short in 2019. But what led to their separation? Here is what happened in their relationship.

Did cheating lead to split between Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth?

In 2015, speculation swirled that Liam Hemsworth cheated on Miley Cyrus with Jennifer Lawrence, whom he kissed while off-set for The Hunger Games movies. Allegedly, they kissed “years after they broke up,” according to Lawrence.

Though Hemsworth proposed to Cyrus in 2012 with a 3.5-carat ring from the jeweler Neil Lane, just one year later in 2013, their relationship was on the rocks. Reportedly, Cyrus penned her song ‘Drive’ (from Bangerz) about the relationship’s uncertain future, seven months before the two would call it quits.

“Emotionally it was such a hard time. [The song] is about needing to leave someone but not really wanting to completely cut yourself off from the relationship,” she said. “It’s a time when you want to leave but you can’t. It’s also about moving on.”

Months after postponing their wedding, Cyrus and Hemsworth unfollowed each other on Twitter. They then confirmed the split two days later.

Is Cyrus’ ‘Muddy Feet’ about Liam Hemsworth cheating?

When Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth reconnected in 2016, a second engagement was swift. The couple were together for three years, eventually tying the knot in 2018. But by the summer of 2019, the relationship fell apart and Hemsworth filed for divorce, which was finalized in January 2020.

Upon the release of her Grammy-nominated album Endless Summer Vacation, fans speculated the song ‘Muddy Feet’ depicted Hemsworth cheating on Cyrus.

Some of the lyrics read: “And you smell like perfume that I didn’t purchase / Now I know why you’ve been closing the curtains / Get the f**k out of my house,” she sings.

While the lyrics make it crystal clear Miley Cyrus shouldn’t be trifled with, it’s all speculation that it’s actually about Liam Hemsworth. The truth may never be fully known. By all accounts, their final split was amicable.