Dating rumors linking pop star Miley Cyrus and Lilly drummer Maxx Morando first bubbled up at the end of 2021, after they were seen together in Miami while Cyrus was in town for her New Year's Eve special, Miley's New Year's Eve Party for NBC. At the time, the Daily Mail caught them having a moment on her balcony at her Miami hotel room. There were also glimpses of them dancing backstage. Months later, in March 2022, Entertainment Tonight confirmed the two were together, with a source calling their relationship “low-key.” And over a year later, the couple still seems to be “going strong.”
Here's what we know about Maxx Morando so far.
Who is Maxx Morando?
Before joining the four-person Los Angeles rock band Lilly, Morando played drums for punk rock band The Regrettes from 2015 to 2018, and they even performed on Conan in 2017. He and Cyrus have many mutual friends in common and have known one another as friends for awhile.
Is their relationship confirmed?
Thirty-year-old Cyrus hasn't said anything officially about dating 24-year-old Morando, but they were together on the red carpet in November at the Gucci Love Parade fashion show in Los Angeles, so they're not exactly keeping things a secret.
A source also told E! News in January 2022 that they're definitely together.
“She's happily dating Maxx,”said the insider. “It's official between them.”
The source added, “They are both artistic and creative, so they bond over being musicians,” and did confirm Morando joined her at the NYE party. “He was backstage with Miley and Pete [Davidson] at the New Year's Eve rehearsals and taping having a good time with them. They were are all super friendly with one another and seemed to have a great night.”
Entertainment Tonight added in a report published on March 1, 2022 that the two have been together privately for some time. “Miley and Maxx have been having a good time together,” the source said. “They've been together for a little while and are just enjoying their relationship. Miley likes the fact that they are low-key as a couple and is just focused on doing her thing and being around people that make her happy, and Maxx does that.”
Then, on Thursday, April 14, the couple was photographed kissing in West Hollywood, further confirming the relationship with some PDA. They were seen meeting outside a salon and giving one another a smooch. They then walked down the street shoulder-to-shoulder, looking very couple-y indeed.
Nearly a year later, in March 2023, Cyrus and Morando confirmed they're still happily together. They made a joint appearance, holding hands, at the Versace show in Los Angeles hours before she dropped her latest album, Endless Summer Vacation. Later that night, they celebrated celebrated the new release together at a Gucci party.
Has Cyrus talked about him before?
In September 2021, Cyrus mentioned Morando while talking to Vogue about her performance looks, attributing a print of cartoon monsters to the drummer, which he collaborated on with designer Shane Kastl.
“This look is a one-of-a-kind collaboration between two of my favorite emerging artists, Maxx Morando and Shane Kastl,” she said. “Their collaboration is the perfect example of sustainability becoming the next fashion phase, and it proves that anything can be reinvented, which resonates with me deeply.”
Cyrus also debuted a new song on NYE 2021 called “You,” which she said was so new she didn't have a chance to record it yet. It later ended up as a track on her 2023 album Endless Summer Vacation. It's been speculated it's about her new boyfriend. The lyrics go:
“I got some baggage / Let’s do some damage / I am not made for no horsey and carriage / You know I’m savage / You’re looking past it / I want that late night sweet magic / That forever lasting love / But only if it’s with you.”
What do their friends think of their relationship?
In October 2022, a source told E! News, “Miley and Maxx are still going strong and their relationship is very serious...They have been together for about a year now and Miley is really happy.”
They added, “Everyone in her family loves them together and thinks they mesh really well.”
Cyrus has apparently recently sold her home in Franklin, Tennessee and moved to Los Angeles, the source said, explaining, “She wanted to take a step back from a crazy work schedule recently. She's in a good place.”
Why do Morando and Cyrus work so well together as a couple?
A Cyrus source told People in March 2023 that Morando is a “cool guy,” and the lack of drama attached to him has been really nice for Cyrus.
“He has no interest in being a huge celebrity; he's very low-key. Miley loves these qualities,” the source said. “Miley can be herself. They are supportive of each other's careers. Miley is enjoying life and things are great.”
How did they meet?
Believe it or not, they were set up on a blind date, Cyrus told British Vogue. “Well, it was blind for me and not really for him,” she clarified. “I thought, ‘The worst that can happen is I leave.’” Luckily, it turned out much better than that.
Another fun tidbit: His ringtone on her phone is “Tyrone” by Erykah Badu. “I call that ‘boyfriend sexy ringtone’,” she told the mag. Usually, though, Morando is the one with the phone. When Endless Summer Vacation was released, Cyrus didn't have hers on her. “My boyfriend brings his phone and I don’t bring one,” she said.
When was Cyrus last seen with Morando?
Cyrus was spotted out at a concert that Morando’s band Liily played on October 11 in Los Angeles. Photos of her with brown hair with Morando surfaced on X, formerly known as Twitter.
On February 4, 2024, the couple attended the Grammys together.
Would Cyrus marry Morando someday?
A source spoke to Us Weekly in late December 2023 about how the singer has high hopes for her and her boyfriend’s future. “Miley could see a healthy, positive and fruitful life with Maxx,” a source said then. “She’s learning from her past marriage and relationships and wants to build toward a better future with him.”
The couple is “doing great,” the source added, saying “Miley is very much in love,” and open to getting married again someday. The insider noted that Cyrus was not in a rush to settle down with Morando or take that step though.
Did Cyrus and Morando kiss at the 2024 Grammys?
Yes, the couple was caught on camera having a very intimate moment at Cyrus’ Grammys table. While they didn’t walk red carpet together, Morando joined her inside the ceremony. Cyrus won her first two Grammys that night and performed on stage.
Are Cyrus and Morando living together?
Yes. A source told People in Feb. 7, 2024 report that Cyrus and Morando have moved in together. “She is very happy with him,” the source said. “Miley has changed a lot in the past couple of years. She seems more calm and harmonious. Everyone loves Maxx. He’s a great guy. She is very happy with him. He’s private and doesn’t like being in the press. It’s been good for her.”
