Billy Ray Cyrus has insisted he was at his "wits' end" when he unleashed a tirade of verbal abuse towards Firerose

He wrote on his Instagram Story: "Hell yeah I was at my wit's end.

"As every day went by, I started realizing something was wrong. And that's before I knew she was a fraud.'

"I just knew something wasn't right. That was before I knew she was David Hodges ex-wife. That's before I knew her parents last name. I had no idea she was arrested for felony residential burglary.

"I saw before my very own eyes, everything I thought I knew about her, was a life. She was trying to take over my career, my life and usurp the Cyrus name for own gain. See you in court.(sic)"

In the audio recording, obtained by DailyMail.com and Us Weekly, Billy Ray branded Firerose "dumb" and "selfish".

He ranted: "If you would've left it the f*** alone. If you would've left it alone when I told you, it's done. Now I'm really f****** p*****. You once again showed me you will not listen. I don't know who the f*** you think you are but you will not f****** listen.

"This ain't about your BRCA, this ain't about your surgery, this ain't about nothing. This is about you being a f****** selfish b****."

The 'Some Gave All' singer then dec lared he didn't think his wife was "real smart".

He added: "I've changed my damn mind on that s***. What you are is a selfish b****.

"You cannot continue to walk all over me and think that I'm going to go out in public with your dumb a** and f****** have you do this s*** anywhere you want in front of whomever."

In the wake of the end of their seven-month marriage, Firerose accused her estranged spouse of "extreme verbal, emotional and psychological abuse", while the 'Somebody Said a Prayer' singer responded 10 days later and claimed he had been the victim of physical, verbal and emotional abuse within their union.

He later alleged the 35-year-old singer "had been conducting a campaign to isolate" him from his family, including stopping him from communicating with one of his daughters - while Firerose alleged she had been subjected to "systematic isolation" and forced to live by "very strict rules."