Soon after Billy Ray Cyrus took the stage at President Trump’s inaugural Liberty Ball in Washington DC on Monday, it quickly became apparent that something wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t just the sound system, which cut out so that the 63-year-old country star couldn’t hear his guitar, or the rattle in his voice as he croaked: “How good was it to see our President back in command?” The trouble seemed to run deeper, as Cyrus’s family members have since spoken out about it.
In an emotional open letter, adopted son Trace Cyrus wrote to his father: “Since my earliest memories all I can remember is being obsessed with you and thinking you were the coolest person ever. I wanted to be just like you. The day you adopted me was the happiest day of my life. Sadly the man that I wanted so desperately to be just like I barely recognise now. It seems this world has beaten you down and it’s become obvious to everyone but you.”
