She may be an international star, but to Billy Ray Cyrus daughterMiley is still his little girl.
That's why it's been so difficult for him to watch the recent events: the infamous video of her smoking the herb salvia from a bong and the 18th birthday party that he refused to attend because it was in a bar.
"I'm scared for her," Billy Ray, 49, tells the March issue of GQ. "She's got a lot of people around her that's putting her in a great deal of danger. I know she's 18, but I still feel like as her daddy I'd like to try to help. Take care of her just a little bit, to at least get her out of danger."
Billy Ray adds, "I want to get her sheltered from the storm. Stop the insanity just for a minute. When you go through what she's been through, it takes a beating on you. And there comes a point where you just got to step back."
But the "Achy Breaky Heart" singer says he feels squeezed out of her life. He reminds people that while he appeared with her on the hit show Hannah Montana, he's not her manager and has no say in her professional life.
"For the record," he says, "to set it straight, I want to tell you: I've never made a dime off of Miley. You got a lot of people have made percentages off of her. I'm proud to say to this day I've never made one commissioned dollar, or dime, off of my daughter."
Billy Ray blames the problems on bad advice given to Miley by her handlers and the pressures of the Disney Channel show, particularly the shooting of the final episodes in January 2010. By the fall, Billy Ray would be in divorce proceedings with Miley's mother, Tish Cyrus.
"The damn show destroyed my family," he says. "And I sit there and go, 'Yeah, you know what? Some gave all.' It is my motto, and guess what? I have to eat that one. I some-gave-all'd it all right. I some-gave-all'd it while everybody else was going to the bank. It's all sad."
Miley Cyrus was all about the music this Christmas.
The singer, 18, rang in the holidays with her family in Nashville, where she and little sister Noah, 10, sang a duet of her summer single "Can't Be Tamed" together.
"Miley and noah are currently singing "can't be tamed" on noah's new karaoke machine," big sister Brandi, 23, Tweeted. "It's pretty hilarious."
She added: "my Mom is videoing … maybe if you're lucky i'll snag it and upload."
Also in Tennessee for the holiday: Billy Ray Cyrus – whofiled for divorce from Miley's mom, Tish, in October. A source tells PEOPLE that he spent some quality time with his children over the Christmas holidays at his 500-acre farm outside of Nashville.
In the spirit of the holidays, Cyrus also posted a Christmas message for her fans (watch it below), and shared her goals for 2011. "I want to make this the year that I go out and do what I'm here to do," she says, "and that's to help people and make people happy."
Miley, who has taken a lot of heat since TMZ posted the story that she was smoking salvia, has been saying, she’s just young and having fun … this, according to friends in direct contact with her.
Miley acknowledged she’s seen the TMZ story and also knew it was going to eventually surface. As TMZ first reported, Miley’s camp was trying to bury the incident by scooping up copies of the video.
One friend put it this way: “Miley doesn’t care. She’s filming her movie and getting on with her life.”
Miley Cyrus Goes Clubbing with Kelly Osbourne in New Orleans
Fresh off the heels of a widely seen video that showed Miley Cyrus smoking the sage Salviafrom a bong, the former Disney star, 18, wasted no time hitting the club circuit with her So Undercover costar Kelly Osbourne.
"It was a good, old-fashioned girl's night," a source tells PEOPLE of the two gals, who along with pal Alexis Knapp and two other women, arrived at the New Orleans club Republic at 1:30 a.m. Saturday. "They were just dancing and hanging out. Miley was drinking Red Bulls."
The real fun started for Cyrus when a song from fellow pop starLady Gaga came on at the club.
"[Miley] went nuts dancing," the source says. "[the group] was really nice and great to the staff. They kept saying how they want to come back. They were really polite ... and saying they had such a wonderful time."
At Miley Cyrus' 18th birthday party last month, the singer was spotted making out with Avan Jogia.
But the slight stir that action created is nothing compared to how some might react to the following video.
Shot by a friend, it depicts the singer taking hits off a salvia-filled bong. It should be noted that possession of this herb is legal in California, but it contains psychedelic qualities - as evidenced here by Miley's reaction to a club goer that resembles Liam Hemsworth:
Says a pal at one point to Cyrus: "You need to do more. You're not as f-cked up as you should be."
We beg to differ. Without passing judgment on Miley, it's clear she's totally lost it in this video.
In the wake of last week's (fake) nude photo scandal, December hasn't been the most PR-friendly month for this star.
Like the rest of the world, Billy Ray Cyrus found out today about his daughter's use of a bong during her 18th birthday party.
Taking his thoughts to Twitter - because all fathers should be concerned about their public reputations over any sense of privacy or decorum - Billy Ray seemed to lay some of the blame at the feet of his ex-wife.
He and Tish are going through divorce proceedings right now, which Billy Ray clearly references in his response to Miley's actions:
The video of Miley Cyrus smoking a bong at her birthday party last month has raised many questions among her fans and critics. Is this proper behavior? What idiotic friend filmed this act?
And what the heck if salvia?
Indeed, the substance Miley inhales on camera is an herb that is legal to possess in California. However, it has been listed as a "drug of concern" by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
It looks like this friend of Miley Cyrus has already had a hit or two of salvia, doesn't it?
Here is what else the DEA has to say about salvia:
It's typically smoked to "evoke hallucinogenic effects."
These effects "include perceptions of bright lights, vivid colors and shapes, as well as body movements and body or object distortions."
Did Miley Cyrus's Bong Video Make Dad Billy Ray Cyrus 'So Sad?'
Did daddy's girl Miley Cyrus let down her typically proud pop Billy Ray?
While Billy Ray doesn't specifically address the bong hit video that leaked Friday, he did post a provocative message hours later.
"Sorry guys," he Tweeted. "I had no idea. Just saw this stuff for the first time myself."
He continues, "Im so sad. There is much beyond my control right now."
PHOTOS: Miley Cyrus's Most Outrageous Moments
Bill Ray is in the midst ofdivorcing his wife Tish. Miley, who recently turned 18, said all she wanted for her birthday was to "take a vacation with my family."
Miley spent 2010 hell-bent on destroying her squeaky-clean “Hannah Montana” image. Her wardrobe became increasingly skimpy, her on-stage performances became increasing risqué(she simulated a girl-on-girl kiss during a June concert), and the music videos in support of her new album, appropriately titled “Can’t Be Tamed,” became increasingly steamy. In October, the Parents Television Council slammed Miley, saying in a statement: “Miley built her fame and fortune entirely on the backs of young girls, and it saddens us that she seems so eager to distance herself from that fan base so rapidly.” But Miley, who turned 18 in November, has shown no remorse for her controversial march to adulthood. Who knows how far the now-adult Miley will push the envelope in 2011.
Check out the cover art for Hannah Montana Forever: The Final Season DVD boxset!
Although the second and third season boxsets were skipped over, the final season will debut on shelves on March 8th, 2011.
The Final Season comes with tons of goodies including: a collectible 28-Page memory book which is illustrated with iconic moments from the series, a signed photo of Hannah Montana, a DVD-Exclusive Alternate Ending to the Series Finale, a “Cast Goodbyes” featurette, “From Auditions to Wrap: The Cast Looks Back” featurette, and much more.
Check out the cover art for Hannah Montana Forever: The Final Season DVD boxset!
