The Controversial Life Of Miley Cyrus' Half-Brother Trace Cyrus

The Cyrus clan is no stranger to controversy. You only have to look as far as Miley Cyrus' infamous foam finger twerk at the 2013 VMAs or Billy Cyrus' eyebrow-raising engagement to Australian singer Firerose for proof. Miley is a global megastar, while Billy is also known for his track "Achy Breaky Heart," which hit #1 on the charts and sold over 9 million copies in the U.S. alone, per The Boot. But there is another famous member of the Cyrus clan, known for his vocal chops and tendency to make headlines for all the wrong reasons.

Miley's half-brother, Trace Cyrus, is the oldest son of Tish Cyrus and her ex Baxter Neal Helson. He is best known as the guitarist for Metro Station, a band that split up in the 2010s and later got back together. But Trace has also been a lightning rod for controversy, for example, putting his famous family on blast and criticizing the female stars of OnlyFans. However, it's important to consider Trace's behavior in light of his mental health struggles. "I work so hard on improving myself & at times feel like I'm getting nowhere," the musician wrote on Instagram in 2020, alluding to his history of substance abuse. In 2022, he posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, about being "mentally destroyed." Let's take a look at some of Trace's most controversial moments, keeping in mind his mental health may play a factor in his decision-making.

In August 2023, Trace Cyrus took aim at the women of OnlyFans, which begs the question — what's his beef with them? Posting to X, Cyrus wrote that these women won't be able to settle down with "good guys with morals" in a lengthy rant. "They will try [to] call those men insecure for having standards. ... But any guy who is so desperate to see sexual content they are willing to pay for it is a desperate loser," he continued, noting that these men "don't want to wife them."

The post sparked instant backlash, with fans calling out Cyrus for "slut-shaming." The guitarist also got into it with "Teen Mom" alum Farrah Abraham, who noted on her Instagram Story, "Yet men have OF accounts with marriage, family, etc. Balance & Brand is real ... forget limited insecure mindsets @tracecyrus." Yikes!

Trace Cyrus's band Metro Station rose to fame with the global hit "Shake It" in 2007, but subsequent EP wasn't nearly as successful, according to NME. According to Cyrus, this is partly because of his family's fame. "I love my family so much, but I think I'd be much more successful if I wasn't part of a famous family. People immediately want to judge me and discredit all my hard work because of who I'm related to," he said on Instagram Stories in 2023. Cyrus added that this perception wasn't true, noting that he got his record label without leveraging his personal connections. In other words, this nepo baby is paving his own way!

In 2010, Trace Cyrus came under fire for being shady about his own bandmates. Around the time Metro Station first broke up, Cyrus — who was also president of the band's company — criticized their music on his Twitter page, writing, "That s**t was weak," according to TMZ. The other band members were angry enough that they wanted to kick him out, but everyone apparently reconciled when Metro Station later got back together.

"I'm just eternally grateful for Metro Station," Cyrus gushed to Empire Extreme in 2020, appearing to change his tune about the band's music. "I'm eternally grateful for the fans. Everybody that's still streaming the music ... and keeping up with my life and stuff. It blows my mind."

During Metro Station's "on" years, Trace Cyrus was defensive of the band. At one point, it seemed like he was willing to fight anyone who harbored a negative opinion of their music. Enter the 2015 Alternative Press Music Awards, in which he used his time on stage (intended to introduce PVRIS) as an opportunity to bash another band called All Time Low. "Before we say anything, I don't know why All Time Low always has to talk s**t on Metro Station, we've been nothing but nice to those guys," Cyrus said, according to Metro.

The outlet further noted that Cyrus got into a "verbal altercation" with All Time Low's lead singer Alex Gaskarth. Rather than clearing the air, Cyrus doubled down on his stance on X.

Trace Cyrus has also made headlines for his love life, despite not yet tying the knot. Per Us Weekly, Trace Cyrus dated Disney alum Brenda Song for 7 years, beginning in 2010. Their relationship was full of drama, including a failed engagement and a fake pregnancy. When Song attempted to clear the air regarding rumors of her pregnancy, Cyrus retorted with a tweet, "Yes they were lies THAT U MADE UP and told me, my entire family and all our friends."

More recently, Cyrus dated artist Taylor Lauren Sanders from 2018 to 2020. In 2020, the exes announced they had decided to end their engagement. "Some of u might already know but I'm recently single & extremely thankful to have my family around me during this time," Cyrus wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post.