Miley Cyrus mourns godmother Dolly Parton: ‘I have an angel by my side’

Miley Cyrus has paid tribute to her godmother Dolly Parton following the country music icon’s death at the age of 80.

Cyrus shared a statement on Instagram on Wednesday, reflecting on her relationship with Parton and the private moments they shared away from the public spotlight.

“The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share. Our most sacred moments were private and they’ll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour & between our hearts,” Cyrus wrote.

“What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong,” she continued. “I have an angel by my side. I always have. One of our last conversations was about music and metamorphosis. 🦋”

Parton became Cyrus’s godmother after developing a friendship with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, while he was touring following the release of his 1992 single “Achy Breaky Heart”.

“We just got to be good friends because he’s a Kentucky boy, I’m from Tennessee,” Parton said during a 2023 interview.

“And he said … ‘We’re having a girl, and you’ve got to be her godmother!’ And I said, ‘Well, I’d be honoured.’ So actually, Miley and I took over from there. We just stayed very, very close through the years.”

In 2024, Cyrus described Parton as being more than a godmother, saying, “Dolly’s been like a mother to me.”