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Los Angeles - The father of teen idol Miley Cyrus is dropping his divorce plans, and says he no longer feels that her Disney Channel TV show Hannah Montana ripped his family apart.
"I dropped the divorce. I wanted to put my family back together," country singer Billy Ray Cyrus said in an interview to be broadcast on Friday on daytime chat show The View. Transcripts from the show were released late on Thursday.
Cyrus, 49, filed for divorce from his wife Tish in October to end their 17-year marriage. Last month, the Achy Breaky Heart singer made headlines by telling GQ magazine that he felt Hannah Montana had destroyed his family and blamed the show for sending his daughter out of control.
Hannah Montana began in 2006 and launched the worldwide career of Miley Cyrus, 18, as a singer and actress. But she has been caught up in a series of scandals in the last year as she tries to move away from her wholesome young image.
Set the record straight
Billy Ray Cyrus, who played Miley's father on the Disney Channel show, told The View he wanted to set the record straight.
"I love Hannah Montana. I love Disney. I love our fans who've been with us throughout this whole show. This has been an incredible journey.
"That didn't tear my family apart. Now fame, fame is a different animal, now fame you've got to be careful with that thing because it can (pause), all things considered, hey, it's all good," he added.
Cyrus said he had become closer to his wife and daughter in recent weeks, and he sought to clear up a recent photos that appeared to show Miley drunk outside a Los Angeles restaurant.
Cyrus said Miley told him she had stumbled because of the glare of paparazzi camera flashes. "She said, most importantly, 'I wasn't drinking. I wasn't drunk. I was just trying to get into my car after a meeting'," he said.
