"It turned into a hot mess" — Cheryl Burke says Billy Ray Cyrus "donkey kicked" a stage manager on Dancing With the Stars

Amid his contentious divorce from his estranged wife, Firerose, Billy Ray Cyrus faces a new assault allegation from his time on Dancing With the Stars in 2007. In the June 28 episode of her podcast S*X, Lies and Spray Tans, his fellow contestant Cheryl Burke claimed the singer once "donkey kicked" a stage manager on the show.

The former professional dancer was joined by iHeart Radio personality Jill Escoto when the topic switched to Cyrus's ongoing divorce from Firerose. According to Taste of Country, Burke claimed that Cyrus got into an altercation with a stage manager on the reality dance show when he was repeatedly asked to hit his mark.

"Our stage manager tells Billy Ray, 'Can you get on your mark so that the director can light you?' And he's been asking, like, three or four times at that time. Billy Ray kicked our stage manager. Out of nowhere. Straight up donkey kicked him," Burke said.

"The stage manager was being so nice. I know him personally. But you know, don't kick him. Don't kick anyone. It turned into a hot mess. And his time was up after that," she continued.

Billy Ray Cyrus partnered with dancer Karina Smirnoff in season 4 of Dancing With the Stars, whereas Burke's partner was actor Ian Ziering. The 4th season ran from March 17 to May 22, 2007. Cyrus and Smirnoff were eliminated during the 8th week.

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Inside Billy Ray Cyrus's divorce from Firerose

Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose, an Australian singer-songwriter whose real name is Johanna Rose Hodges, started dating in 2022. This was months after Cyrus's ex-wife, Tish, filed for divorce in April, nearly three decades after their marriage. The couple has five children: Trace, Brandi, Noah, Miley and Braison.

According to People Magazine, Billy Ray Cyrus and Firerose got engaged in 2022, and the couple tied the knot on October 10, 2023. In May 2024, Billy Ray Cyrus filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. On June 13, he filed a temporary restraining order that prevented Firerose from using his credit cards.

The next day, Firerose alleged in a new filing that she “was the victim of extreme verbal, emotional, and psychological abuse” during their marriage. The singer, 28 years his junior, added that she was scheduled to undergo a double mastectomy a day after Cyrus filed for divorce and had to delay the surgery.

In the filing, she also alleged that Cyrus's behavior was unpredictable due to his constant use of drugs, including marijuana. On June 24, Cyrus countered these allegations by claiming that Firerose verbally, physically, and emotionally abused him.

On July 24, Billy Ray Cyrus claimed Firerose was a fraud trying to use him for his money after an audio of him berating her was leaked. In the 90-second audio clip, Cyrus can be heard calling his estranged wife a "selfish f***ing b****" several times as Firerose tries to speak to him calmly.

“If you would’ve left it alone when I told you, it’s done. Now I’m really f***ing pissed. 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***ing listen,” Cyrus can be heard saying.

According to People Magazine, the argument arose after Billy Ray Cyrus was late for an event he was scheduled to perform at.