Was Miley Cyrus Adopted? The Full Lawsuit Case Explained

 |  3 min read

Miley Cyrus on the SNL 50 Red Carpet

A new adoption lawsuit has officially made national headlines. In case you missed it, an Arizona woman alleged that she was Miley Cyrus’s biological mother in early December. The case has officially been dismissed by the Tennessee court.

Miley Cyrus Adoption Case Makes National Headlines

In early December 2025, Cyrus announced her engagement to long-term partner Maxx Morando. Nearly days after the engagement news, an complaint, which was filed in May 2025, took national headlines.

The case, which alleges a woman by the name of Jayme Lee gave birth to Miley in 1992 at the age of 12 and entered into a “private adoption agreement” with Cyrus’ parents Billy Ray and Tish Cyrus. Lee claimed the agreement allowed her to “select Cyrus’s name and work as a nanny and piano teacher.”

She also included that Billy Ray “wrongfully assumed the role” of father without her consent and “misrepresented the circumstances” surrounding the adoption. The filing alleges that Billy Ray and Tish breached their contract, committed fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and interference with parental rights.

In June, Lee submitted an amendment that expanded her allegations to include “child abuse and endangerment.” This amendment argues that making Cyrus a public figure placed her in harm’s way. According to Lee, “no valid adoption papers were ever lawfully signed” due to her being a minor who “lacked capacity to consent.”

Finally, the amendment alleges that the Cyrus family cut off contact with Lee after the birth. Along with the case, Lee sought out DNA maternity and paternity test for Miley and her parents.

Lee also attempted to get other celebrities to comment on this case. She named Dolly Parton as a defendant, and she also listed Julia Roberts, Hillary Clinton, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, and Neil Patrick Harris as eyewitnesses. Lee even issues a subpoena to Taylor Swift, which requested a childhood scrapbook to be returned.

The Case Was Dismissed In December 2025

On November 20, Billy Ray officially responded to the case. In his statement, he called the accusations “false and absurd” stating that the lawsuit was “clearly brought for the purposes of harassing” his family.

Cyrus’ attorney’s emphasized that Tennessee law does not permit adoption without a court order. On December 1, Billy Ray issued an additional response opposing Lee’s amended complaint, stating that he had never been properly served. In addition, he asked the court to award attorney fees if the case was dismissed.

On December 5, the lawsuit was “dismissed with prejudice and awarded Mr. Cyrus the recovery of his reasonable and necessary attorney’s fees and costs” according to attorney Chase LanCarte of the Davidson County Circuit Court.

At this time, Tish Cyrus has not responded to any allegation. Lee also did not comment following the dismissal.

Words by:

Corey Cesare Corey Cesare is Talent Recap's Managing Editor and featured YouTube Host. She has a love of all things pop culture and an unhealthy obsession with celebrities. Corey earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Cinema/Screen Studies from the State University of New York at Oswego in 2021. She spends her spare time shooting astro, nature, and portrait photography, and coming up with movie ideas that she hopes to make into a film someday.

Share article

Talent Recap newsletters

Sign up to Stay up to date with all the latest talent news!