Miley Cyrus has provided additional clarification concerning her recent engagement to musician Maxx Morando, including what she humorously described as the actual reason she accepted his proposal.
The 33-year-old artist confirmed the engagement on Tuesday after appearing at a red-carpet event wearing a ring reportedly valued at approximately $150,000. During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday, Cyrus joked that she agreed to marry Morando because of a longstanding phobia she experiences.
Cyrus informed host Jimmy Kimmel that she has an aversion to paper, stating that even the cue cards on his desk made her feel physically uncomfortable. She further explained that her discomfort intensifies when individuals with dry hands handle paper. As a result of this fear, she said that Morando is responsible for opening all of her delivered packages outside her residence, humorously adding that this obligation served as the rationale behind her engagement.
When Kimmel referenced the tradition of “paper” being associated with a first-year wedding anniversary, Cyrus firmly rejected the idea. He then asked whether she would be willing to sign the marriage certificate itself. Cyrus responded by recalling her prior marriage to actor Liam Hemsworth, noting that she believed the document from that marriage was printed on smoother paper, which she found less distressing.
Cyrus and Hemsworth finalized their divorce in 2020 after approximately 13 months of marriage and a decade-long intermittent relationship. Cyrus added that she remembered little about signing that certificate, attributing her lack of recollection to having been under the influence of what she joked was an “imaginary joint” at the time.
Kimmel opened the interview by congratulating Cyrus on her engagement, which prompted applause from the studio audience. He noted that Morando appeared to have proposed only weeks before Christmas, suggesting that the timing might have relieved him of the need to purchase an additional holiday gift. Cyrus responded lightheartedly, holding up her ring and joking that it was a “Black Friday deal,” before clarifying that it was not but praising Morando as thoughtful.
Cyrus appeared on the program to promote Avatar: Fire and Ash, the latest installment of the film franchise, for which she recorded the song Dream As One. She arrived at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles wearing a fashion ensemble that included leather pants, a fur puffer jacket, a lace camisole, and high-heeled shoes. She was accompanied by security personnel and her mother, Tish Cyrus.
Cyrus first confirmed her engagement publicly on Good Morning America, stating that she had been “completely surprised” by Morando’s proposal and commending his selection of the 14-karat yellow gold ring. Speculation had begun earlier in the week after she wore the ring during the premiere of Avatar: Fire and Ash at the Dolby Theater, where she and Morando appeared together on the red carpet. Morando’s father later shared celebratory photographs online acknowledging the engagement.
Sources close to the couple have indicated that those familiar with Cyrus view the relationship positively. One insider stated that friends consider Morando to be a “good person” and a healthier match for Cyrus compared with some of her previous partners. Another source added that Morando has been warmly received by Cyrus’s family, including her mother, Tish, and father, Billy Ray Cyrus.
Cyrus and Morando began dating after a blind date in late 2021. In previous interviews, Cyrus has noted that despite their six-year age difference, they share a similar outlook on life and do not take themselves too seriously. The engagement is Cyrus’s first since her divorce from Hemsworth, a period she has previously characterized as emotionally difficult and highly scrutinized.
According to those close to her, Cyrus has now reached a more stable stage in her personal life, one marked by reduced public turmoil and a healthier emotional environment.#newsafro_
