Billy Ray Cyrus is said to be "relieved" that his marriage to Firerose is over

A source told People: "He is more relieved every day that he's done with his marriage. His instincts have been correct all along. He believes she only married him for financial and other reasons. He's convinced that she didn't marry him for love."

The comments come just days after Billy Ray's legal team branded Firerose's allegations against him "confusing and suspicious", following the news that she had accused him of exhibiting "extreme verbal, emotional and psychological abuse".

But in a statement, Billy Ray's lawyers have hit back at her allegations as they claimed she "begged" him to reconcile days after he applied to formally end their marriage.

The statement added: "If Mr. Cyrus was truly guilty of the allegations that [Firerose] alleges in her pleadings, then it is mindboggling to try and explain why she would want to return to live with him.

"Furthermore, she was pleading with him to give her a chance to explain everything to him."

After Firerose, 36, filed her divorce petition on 14 June, Billy Ray's team responded and submitted their own complaint on 17 June, a supplement to his initial annulment and divorce complaint that was lodged on 23 May.

He alleged his estranged wife "had been conducting a campaign to isolate" him from his family and blocked him from communicating with a daughter since the May filing, and also included a handwritten note he claimed had been penned by Firerose.

His lawyers, Rose Palermo and Jason Talley, told People Billy Ray had "discovered" the letter in which Firerose was "professing her love and need to be with Mr. Cyrus" when he returned to his home two days after she "was required, by Court Order, to vacate his residence of over 25 years."

The note read: "I miss you more than I can possibly explain in words Baby.

"Please let's work this out and not become anything but closer out of this hellish experience.

"I need you. I love you. I am so sorry."

The 'Achy Breaky Heart' hitmaker - who split from Tish Cyrus in 2022 after almost 30 years of marriage - began dating Firerose in 2022, but had met her more than a decade before, when she was auditioning for a project at the same studios where he and Miley Cyrus, 31, filmed 'Hannah Montana' for the Disney Channel.