The Real Reasons Liam & Miley Are Avoiding The Spotlight

Hollywood hot couple Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth basked in the spotlight until their nasty split in 2013. Now that they've reunited, why do they seem so reclusive?

When Cyrus and Hemsworth first got engaged, they were only a respective 19 and 22 years old. That's young! They were just 20 and 23 when they announced their split in September 2013, though there were a lot of hints they'd actually broken up way before that and were just desperately trying to keep up appearances in public.

When they reunited in 2016, Cyrus was 23 and Hemsworth was 26, so the pair has matured, sowed some wild oats (Cyrus with Stella Maxwell and Patrick Schwarzenegger; Hemsworth with Eiza Gonzalez), and may be ready to be in a committed, healthy relationship again. Hemsworth echoed that sentiment to GQ Australia in May 2016. "Of course [the split] was hard," he said. "But at the time we were going in different directions and it's just what needed to happen. We were both super young and it was a good decision at the time—we both needed that."

In the summer of 2015, Cyrus told Time she was fine with being single. "It has a lot to do with being a feminist, but I'm finally OK with being alone," she said. "I think that's something we have to talk about more: that you can be alone...There are times in my life where I've had boyfriends or girlfriends. And there are times where I just love being with myself and don't want to give part of myself away to someone else...my future doesn't rely on having a partner." Since Cyrus is now more secure in flying solo, you're less likely to see her and Hemsworth clinging to one another in public. There's no longer a need for constant media validation of their relationship.

Perhaps part of why Cyrus and Hemsworth have kept their reignited romance quiet is because they're not totally sure where this is headed. In January 2016, a source close to Cyrus told People, "Miley is beyond happy to be engaged to Liam again. It might seem sudden, but they have been very close for the past few months. They just wanted to keep their relationship out of the spotlight while they figured things out."

However, in a March 2016 interview with TV Week, Hemsworth said, "I am not engaged, no." Cyrus has been spotted everywhere wearing her Neil Lane engagement ring, so it seems like they may not necessarily be on the same page (at least not publicly). After that interview, the Daily Mail spotted the "We Can't Stop" singer without her ring. Afterward, Hemsworth told Entertainment Tonight, "Everyone's happy. I'm happy...I just find it's easier to not talk about my personal life because usually I say the wrong thing, so it ends up just complicating things more. So, I feel like it's better not to talk about it."

A source close to the couple explained to People that Hemsworth just isn't comfortable placing his personal life under a media microscope, saying, "Liam never liked how exposed his life was with Miley." Another insider noted that his private tendencies influence their date nights, which are usually evenings in instead of out. "For the past few weeks, they have lived a very secluded life," a Cyrus source told People. "When they are not working, they rarely leave home. They often have people over for dinner, and Miley has gone from a wild child to a housewife." Another source said, "They haven't been out in public because Liam hates the paparazzi chaos."

Hemsworth reportedly disliked the spotlight not just on himself or his relationship, but also on Cyrus. A source close to the couple told People that he's the reason Cyrus has toned down her wild-child image. "Liam couldn't handle when Miley acted nutty," an insider dished. "Miley's problem was that she thought Liam was boring when he complained...[Cyrus is] toning things down and acting more normal. She even stopped hanging out with friends that are too wild." When Cyrus isn't getting attention for acting like an exhibitionist, she's not really getting attention at all, which means neither one of them is making too many headlines lately.

Part of why Hemsworth and Cyrus broke up in the first place was her wild behavior, but an often overlooked factor is the effect of said wild behavior on his career. That may play a role in why they're keeping their relationship relatively quiet this go-around. After their 2013 breakup, a source told Radar Online, "...his entire team is urging him to part ways with her because she's nothing but negative for his reputation and career." The source said, "Liam is a serious actor with a growing career, while Miley has just turned into a joke." Now that Cyrus has toned down her antics, the couple is also easing up on the PDA. This means attention can be focused squarely on Hemsworth's summer 2016 blockbuster Independence Day: Resurgence.

When the future Mrs. Hemsworth was all over the media in hot pants and pasties, his family was less than thrilled, but the Hemsworth crew reportedly appreciates Cyrus' more muted, relaxed, and private persona. A source told Us Weekly, "Liam's family has always liked Miley but they supported Liam's decision [to break up] at the time...Miley is texting [Liam's sister-in-law] Elsa and other members of Liam's family again. They've seemed to welcome her in with open arms." Those arms may cross if Cyrus starts twerking all over the internet again, but for now, the reunited couple seems blissfully happy remaining in the background.