Is anyone else still recovering from the shock of Miley Cyrus and Cody Simpson's breakup? Though the two were only together for 10 months, it feels like they dated for 10 years, considering how much went down during that time. Miley Cyrus and Cody Simpson's relationship timeline is a total whirlwind, filled with love poems, matching tattoos, TikTok dances, and racy mirror selfies, but — according to Cyrus — she and Simpson felt it was time to slide away. "...for right now, two halves can't make a whole, and we're individually just working on ourselves to become the people that we wanna be," she said during an IG Live on Aug. 13, and IMO, that's the maturest response to a breakup ever.
The exes were friends long before they started dating, and Simpson thought they worked so well together because of their shared values. "We keep each other in a good place," the Aussie singer said during a October 2019 appearance on The Kyle and Jackie O Show. "That's what's really healthy about it, and I think that's the first time I've had that in a relationship. We're very, very much on the same page." It's unclear whether they were on the same page about their breakup, but here's what I do know about their 10-month romance.
Though I'm not sure when exactly Cyrus and Simpson first met, the former Disney Channel darling has def been on Simpson's radar for a while. During an interview with Fuse in February 2012, Simpson said Cyrus has always been his "childhood celebrity crush," adding, "I was a big Miley Cyrus fan. I think she will be forever the most dateable Disney star."
By 2014, Cyrus and Simpson were IRL friends, and he defended during her Bangerz era, when she received backlash from fans for her changing up image. In a December 2014 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Simpson said of Cyrus, "She's definitely at heart a very sweet, normal, cool girl. We were spending time out at her ranch in Nashville last week and I'm like, 'Why do people say these things?' She's just the coolest chick."
The feeling was apparently mutual. During a February 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, Cyrus called Simpson "a super f*cking cool guy and an epic guitar player and singer." In December 2015, Simpson even referred to Cyrus as one of his "best friends" while chatting with GQ Australia. "She's super open-minded and I'm working on becoming more like that," he said.
Dating rumors first started circulating after Cyrus was spotted smooching Simpson on Oct. 4, 2019. At the time, a source for Entertainment Tonight reported claimed the two weren't looking for anything serious. "Miley and Cody have been friends for years. They have hooked up in the past," the source said. "Cody and Miley have no plans to start dating each other exclusively. They both just want to have fun and are open and honest with each other about that."
But then, just a few days later, Cyrus cleared up the rumors by calling Simpson her "BF" in an IG Story. On Oct. 8, Cyrus was hospitalized for tonsillitis, and Simpson came to visit. She announced his visit with a selfie in a hospital bed along with the caption, "BF coming to visit me @ the hospy," and later, she posted photos of Simpson standing by her bed with his guitar and a bouquet of roses. According to Cyrus, he even wrote and performed a song for her.
A few days after that, Simpson's younger sister, Alli, reportedly confirmed their relationship while chatting with the Daily Mail. "It seems like they're very happy and very in love," she said, adding, "Miley is posting a lot [on social media] and so is Cody, so it seems serious." Simpson confirmed the relationship himself at the Tiffany & Co. Men's Launch in Los Angeles. "I'm very happy. We are very, very happy," he said. Later, he added, "Any girlfriends I've had in the past has always been immediate romance, and so it's a different experience having been friends with somebody before and it developing naturally into something more."
In November, Cyrus and Simpson took a hiatus from their consistent IG affection, and fans worried the two had split (especially after OK! reported the couple was "taking a break"). However, a source for E! News reportedly claimed on Nov. 18 the two were dating long-distance, not broken up. "Miley and Cody saw each other last week when he visited her in Tennessee. They are fine and are still dating," the insider said. "Miley has been resting from her vocal surgery but has been in touch and seen Cody recently."
Simpson officially put breakup rumors to rest after he wished Cyrus a happy 27th birthday on Nov. 23. "Happy birthday baby," he wrote in his caption. "Thanks for being you." Soon after, Simpson joined the Cyrus family for Thanksgiving dinner.
Their relationship was challenged once again in December, when Simpson was reportedly spotted in New York City with model Jordy Murraya, according to TMZ. A few days later, a source for E! News reportedly claimed they spotted Simpson "dancing behind the DJ booth at Little Sister with a group of girls," and one of the women even "kissed him on the lips."
However, a rep for Simpson released a statement to E! News shutting down the cheating rumors. "There is absolutely no truth to this story. Cody went out with a friend and all the rest is fabricated. Period," his agent said. Soon after, when Alli Simpson was asked by Daily Mail Australia about her brother's relationship status, she reportedly confirmed he and Cyrus were still "together for sure."
Cyrus proved she and Simpson were A-OK when she posted two separate messages on Instagram in honor of her BF's 23rd birthday. In one, she called Simpson her "best friend in the entire world," and in another, she referred to him as her "favorite human to get weird with on the entire earth." She also gave him a super sweet present: a doctor's bag from the 1800s embroidered with "Prince Neptune," which is the title of his April 2020 book of poetry.
Cyrus supported Simpson's forthcoming poetry book yet again in March 2020 by getting matching trident tattoos with him. Though neither has publicly spoken about the meaning behind the twin tats, they def seem like an ode to Prince Neptune, and the tattoo artist, Nico Bassill, basically confirmed as much in his IG post showing off the finished product.
In April, soon after Cyrus gave Simpson an at-home buzz cut, Simpson made an appearance on Cyrus' IG Live show Bright Minded, where he debuted a poem written in honor of his GF. Needless to say, Cyrus was swooning by the end. "Babe! I'm freaked! I'm the most beautiful?" she asked. And of course, Simpson answered her question with, "You're the most beautiful, babe."
A month later, Cyrus gave her boo a drag makeover for his "Captain's Dance With the Devil" music video, which she also helped produce and direct. According to Simpson, the idea of exploring a drag alter ago came to him as Cyrus was organizing her lipstick collection. "It was then that the character of 'Rebecca' was born," he explained to Rolling Stone. The two put their heads together — using Cyrus' "knowledge of makeup, art, and drag culture" and Simpson's "knowledge of maritime and nautical culture" — to create the concept for the visual, which was their first creative collaboration.
Fans were pretty shocked when Cyrus announced their breakup during an IG Live on Aug. 13, explained they were "individually right now just working on [them]selves." Later, she added, "We've been friends for 10 years and we're gonna continue to be friends." A source for E! News reportedly claimed Simpson initiated the split a "few weeks ago," but luckily, it seems as though the two ended things on good terms. Simpson even congratulated his ex after she dropped her single, "Midnight Sky," on the same day she confirmed their breakup.
Here's hoping the two are able to stay friends (and maybe even give fans that musical collaboration I've been waiting to hear).
