Billy Ray Cyrus has revealed the hilariously blunt response Dolly Parton gave him when he nervously apologized for tabloid stories claiming the country stars were having an affair.
Cyrus shared the unforgettable exchange while mourning Parton, who died on August 25 at age 80. Although his tribute was filled with grief, it also offered a perfect glimpse of the wit, confidence and business savvy that made Dolly unlike anyone else in Nashville.
The drama began in 1992, when Cyrus was riding the phenomenal success of "Achy Breaky Heart" and touring as Parton's opening act. Their close working relationship soon attracted the attention of the tabloids, which began publishing sensational stories suggesting that their friendship was secretly romantic.
Cyrus was reportedly mortified. He finally walked into Parton's dressing room to apologize for the embarrassing headlines-but Dolly was not remotely bothered.
Instead, she winked at him and delivered five unforgettable words: "Honey, this trash sells records!"
That one-liner apparently broke the tension and helped establish a friendship that would endure for more than three decades. Rather than allowing an invented scandal to drive them apart, Dolly laughed at the gossip and demonstrated that she understood the celebrity machine better than almost anyone.
The rumors also produced one of pop culture's sweetest family connections. As Cyrus and Parton became close friends, he asked her to become godmother to his daughter Miley Cyrus, who was born later in 1992. Dolly agreed to serve as Miley's "fairy godmother," beginning a relationship that would eventually extend from private family life to Hannah Montana, the Grammy stage and numerous musical collaborations.
Parton and Billy Ray also played into their cheeky public chemistry by appearing together on "Romeo," her flirtatious 1993 country collaboration. But behind the winking performances and outrageous tabloid headlines was a deeply affectionate friendship.
In his farewell, Cyrus revealed that Dolly had sent him a beautiful private message shortly before her death, telling him that she loved him with her "whole heart." He did not disclose when the message arrived or what else Parton wrote, but made it clear that her words had become especially precious.
"I will always love her in the same way," he wrote, deliberately echoing the title of Parton's signature ballad. He promised to carry that love with his whole heart for the rest of his life.
Miley has now released her own emotional tribute to the woman she called "Aunt Dolly." She remembered one of their final conversations, vowed to turn her grief into music and said she would continue trying to make her godmother proud.
Fans flooded Billy Ray's tribute with condolences, but many were especially concerned about Miley. Thousands urged him to hug his daughter, recognizing that she had lost far more than a famous mentor. She had lost a woman who had loved, advised and championed her since birth.
What began with a scandalous-and apparently fictional-affair story ultimately created a friendship that changed the Cyrus family forever. Dolly got the last laugh, Billy Ray gained a lifelong friend, and Miley received a fairy godmother whose influence would shape her life and career.
