If you’ve spent any time on the internet over the last decade, you probably know the guy. Or, at least, you think you do. Liam Hemsworth, the Australian actor who basically lived through a ten-year rollercoaster with Miley Cyrus, is much more than just a footnote in pop history. He’s the person she met when she was just a teenager on a movie set. He's the guy she married in a low-key Nashville ceremony. And yeah, he’s the one who supposedly inspired the 2023 anthem "Flowers."
But honestly? Their story is way more complicated than a few petty song lyrics or a dramatic divorce filing.
Most people just want a quick answer to "who is Miley Cyrus' ex-husband?" It's Liam. It has always been Liam. Despite her long list of high-profile flings and serious partners—from Nick Jonas to her current rumored fiancé Maxx Morando—Hemsworth is the only one who actually put a ring on it and walked down the aisle.
Why the name Liam Hemsworth still matters in 2026
It’s weird to think about now, but they were together for nearly ten years. That is a lifetime in Hollywood years. They met back in 2009 while filming The Last Song. Miley was just 16. Liam was 19. They weren’t even adults, really. Just kids playing lovers in a Nicholas Sparks movie who ended up falling for each other for real.
You’ve likely seen the photos of them from that era. They looked like the perfect Disney-adjacent couple. But the reality was a constant cycle of breaking up and making up. They got engaged in 2012, broke it off in 2013 during Miley’s "Bangerz" era, and then somehow found their way back to each other in 2016.
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By the time they finally got married in December 2018, fans thought they had finally figured it out. They hadn't.
The marriage that lasted eight months
People often forget how short the actual marriage was. They tied the knot in their Tennessee home shortly after losing their Malibu house to the devastating Woolsey Fire. Miley later told Howard Stern that the trauma of the fire is probably what pushed them toward the altar. It was a "survival partner" situation. They were clinging to each other because everything else they owned was ash.
Then, just like that, it was over.
By August 2019, they were separated. Liam was the one who officially filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences." The internet went into a frenzy. Photos of Miley kissing Kaitlynn Carter in Italy surfaced almost immediately. It looked messy. It felt messy. But according to Miley, the conflict had been building for a long time. She’s gone on record saying there was "too much conflict" and that she realized during her 2019 Glastonbury performance that the relationship was officially dead.
Where is Liam Hemsworth now?
While Miley has been winning Grammys and evolving into a rock icon, Liam has mostly stayed out of the tabloid crosshairs. He moved back to Australia. He started dating model Gabriella Brooks in late 2019, and as of early 2026, they are still going strong. In fact, news broke recently that Liam and Gabriella rang in the New Year on a yacht in Sydney with his brother Chris and sister-in-law Elsa Pataky.
Career-wise, he’s stepped into some massive shoes.
After Henry Cavill left The Witcher, Netflix tapped Liam to take over the role of Geralt of Rivia. Season 4 dropped in late 2025, and Season 5 is currently the talk of the streaming world. It was a huge risk for him. Taking over a beloved role from a fan-favorite actor is basically asking for a headache, but he’s managed to hold his own.
The "Flowers" of it all
We can't talk about Liam without mentioning the 2023 hit "Flowers."
The song was released on his birthday—January 13th. That isn't a coincidence. Even if Miley plays it off as a general anthem for self-love, the lyrics are surgical. "Built a home and watched it burn" is a direct reference to their Malibu house. Fans even pointed out that the gold dress she wears in the video looks suspiciously like a gown Jennifer Lawrence wore to a Hunger Games premiere (Jennifer, of course, was Liam's co-star).
Miley's stance? She told British Vogue she doesn't need to "trick" her audience. She's just telling her truth.
Sorting out the misconceptions
There’s this weird narrative that Liam was the "boring" one trying to tame a "wild" Miley. That's a bit of a reach. Relationships are two-sided. While Miley was exploring her identity and her queerness—which she’s been very open about—Liam was reportedly more traditional.
They were just two people who grew up in opposite directions.
- Fact: They were together (off and on) from 2009 to 2019.
- Fact: They were only legally married for about eight months.
- Fact: Liam is the only person Miley has ever married.
- Fact: He is currently engaged to Gabriella Brooks (as of late 2025).
It’s easy to pick a side. It's easy to say he was too "stiff" or she was too "much." But looking back at their decade-long saga, it’s clear they were an essential part of each other's lives. You don't stay with someone that long if there isn't something real there.
Moving forward
If you’re looking for the "bad guy" in this story, you won't find one. You’ll just find two people who met too young and tried to make a childhood romance work in a grown-up world. Miley is thriving with her new sound and her partner Maxx Morando. Liam is thriving in Australia, finally away from the paparazzi-heavy life of Los Angeles.
The best way to understand the legacy of Liam Hemsworth in Miley’s life is to listen to her 2020 album Plastic Hearts. In the song "WTF Do I Know," she sings, "I don't even miss you." But in "Angels Like You," she admits she's the one who was "never gonna be what you needed."
It’s nuanced. It’s human. And honestly, it's a lot more interesting than a simple name on a divorce decree.
If you want to keep up with what Liam is doing today, your best bet is following the production news for The Witcher on Netflix. He’s fully transitioned from "Miley’s ex" to a leading man in his own right. For Miley fans, her latest project Something Beautiful (released in 2025) offers even more insight into her journey of healing after the Hemsworth era. Both have moved on, and in the world of celebrity breakups, that’s about as good a result as you can hope for.
Check out the latest updates on Liam's upcoming films or Miley's world tour dates to see how these two former "survival partners" are navigating life separately.