The Nothing Breaks Like a Heart singer, 26, announced in a statement on Saturday that they had separated to 'focus on themselves and their careers'.

 

 

 

It comes as Miley was spotted kissing Brody Jenner's ex-wife Kaitlynn Carter during a girls' getaway to Lake Como, Italy, on Friday.

 

The Wrecking Ball hitmaker revealed in her split statement that she and Liam are 'ever-evolving' and 'changing' as individuals, insisting that they will remain 'dedicated parents to all of their animals'.

 

 

Miley and Liam married in a secret wedding on December 23, 2018, with their nearest family and friends at their home in Franklin, Tennessee.

 

The singer, who identifies as pansexual, revealed in a candid interview last month that she viewed their marriage as 'confusing, complex and modern', insisting that she was still 'very sexually attracted to women' and that she doesn't 'fit into a stereotypical wife role'.   

 

They have dated on and off since 2010, and were initially engaged in June 2012 before calling it off in September 2013, they reconciled in 2016.

 

A representative for the singer said in a statement to press: 'Liam and Miley have agreed to separate at this time. Ever-evolving, changing as partners and individuals, they have decided this is what’s best while they both focus on themselves and careers.

 

'They still remain dedicated parents to all of their animals they share while lovingly taking this time apart. Please respect their process and privacy.' 

 

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Miley Cyrus, Kaitlynn Carter and Liam Hemsworth for comment. 

 

Miley and Liam have been dating on and off since 2010, when they met on the set of the Nicholas Sparks adaptation film The Last Song.

 

They were initially engaged in June 2012, but they called it off in September 2013, before rumours stemmed in January 2016 the engagement was back on.

 

Miley confirmed they were engaged during an October 2016 appearance on Ellen, and they were married on December 23, 2018, at their home in Franklin, Tennessee - contrary to initial speculation that they were planning to wed in Liam's native Australia.

 

 

 

Questions: The claims and photos come after Miley shared a snap of herself earlier on Saturday posing on a chair with her wedding ring visibly absent from the shot with fans asking in the comments section where her wedding band had gone 

 

 

 

The claims and photos come after Miley shared a snap of herself earlier on Saturday, posing on a chair with her ring visibly absent.

 

The singer's 97M followers took to the comments section to ask why she wasn't wearing the wedding band.

 

'Where is her wedding ring?' one wrote, while a different concerned fan added: 'She's not wearing her ring wtf!??'

 

On Friday, before news of her split from Liam broke, Miley was seen getting cosy with Kaitlynn in the Italian sunshine as they continue to enjoy their lavish getaway.

 

The Hannah Montana star appeared to be getting extremely hands-on with the blogger, 30, as they enjoyed a spot of sunbathing together. 

 

Miley was parading her toned figure in a black Versace printed bikini and a matching bucket hat as she got extremely cosy with Kaitlynn on top of their pool towel.

 

The Black Mirror star tried to shield her face with a wide-brimmed hat as they shared a series of smooches in the sunshine. 

 

Kaitlynn was also proudly showing off her slender figure in a skimpy strapless cream bikini as they soaked up the sun together. 

 

Miley & Liam's Romance: A Timeline

June 2009: Miley and Liam first met on the set of the movie The Last Song, in which they played romantic interests - foretelling their real-life future.

 

March 2010: Following months of speculation, the lovebirds confirmed their romance in the most Hollywood way possible, by making their red carpet debut as a couple at an Oscars party.

 

August 2010: After solidifying their status as Hollywood's coolest young It Couple, the pair reportedly went through their first breakup, with Miley's exhausting work schedule being cited by sources as the cause.

 

September 2010: Within weeks of the news that they had gone their separate ways, the pair were spotted out and about together.

 

November 2010: Fans rooting for the photogenic twosome's fledgling romance were left disappointed as they decided to split once again.

 

April 2011: After spending a whole winter apart, it appeared that they came to the realisation they couldn't live apart, as they reunited in time for spring.

 

December 2011: Of course, nothing says 'we're together and madly in love' in Hollywood like a red carpet outing. Liam joined Miley at the CNN Heroes Gala in Los Angeles.

 

March 2012: Shortly after Miley accompanied Liam to the premiere of The Hunger Games, engagement rumours swirled as she was seen sporting a ring. However, the star took to Twitter to shoot down the fevered speculation.

 

June 2012: What a difference a few months make! The couple announce their engagement after Liam proposes with a 3.5-carat Neil Lane sparkler.

 

February 2013: ere appears to be trouble in paradise once again, as Miley shoots down cheating rumours. Despite her denials, the couple step out separately for high-profile Oscar parties, fuelling breakup speculation.

 

September 2013: Miley makes the big step of unfollowing Liam on Twitter. Just days later, her spokesperson confirms that the engagement is over. That same month, Liam is seen kissing Mexican beauty Eiza Gonzalez.

 

November 2014: Miley moves on! She embarks on a romance with Patrick Schwarzenegger, and their every exploit soon starts hitting social media.

 

March 2015: After Miley is embraced and welcomed into the Schwarzenegger fold, Patrick is seen getting cosy with another woman. 

 

April 2015: It's announced that the pair's Instagrammable romance is over.

 

July 2015: Miley is linked to model Stella Maxwell after they're seen out together. One month later, Miley shares that she's pansexual – and single.

 

January 2016: The singer confirms that she's back with Liam – and they're engagement is on again – after she's seen with moving trucks at his home.

 

October 2017: Miley and Liam make their first red carpet appearance together in more than four years as they attend the Hollywood premiere of Thor: Ragnarok, starring his brother Chris.

 

November 2018: The couple lose their Malibu home, after devastating wildfires destroy homes throughout the state of California. They subsequently relocate to Tennessee, where they're thought to have wed a month later.

 

December 2018: Miley and Liam marry at their home in Franklin, Tennessee

 

Kaitlynn and Miley seemed unphased by those who were watching them get cosy, as they relaxed together in the sunny weather. 

 

Liam is yet to comment on the split and he was spotted in Byron Bay, Australia, with his famous brother Chris, who will celebrate his birthday on Sunday, earlier this week on Monday.  

 

Miley has been eagerly documenting her trip with Kaitlynn on social media and that has included parading her toned figure in a slew of bikini snaps. 

 

Where it went wrong: Signs Miley Cyrus & Liam Hemsworth's split was coming

The couple were not planning to have children

 

In mid-July, Miley tearily and publicly declared she wouldn't be having babies with her husband.

 

While the singer attributed her decision to the dangers of global warming, observers and fans wondered if there was more to the story.

 

Her sexuality

 

In a recent interview with ELLE, Miley stated that she was very much still attracted to women.

 

'I'm in a hetero relationship, but I still am very sexually attracted to women... I definitely don’t fit into a stereotypical wife role. I don’t even like that word.'

 

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His missing ring

 

In possibly the biggest red flag about the status of the couple's relationship, Liam was spotted without his wedding ring in July, just days after Miley's Glastonbury announcement that she's 'f***ing sick of men'.

 

Liam was spotted looking glum while picking up a coffee by himself in LA – with his ring finger noticeably bare. 

 

On August 3, the hunky young Hemsworth brother posted a promotional video to his Instagram for a coffee brand, where he was conspicuously ring-free. 

 

And her missing ring

 

Miley was also spotted without her wedding ring in a slew of Instagram snaps uploaded to her page over the past few days, up to hours before news of the couple's split was confirmed.

 

On Saturday, the Party In The USA hitmaker uploaded a photo of herself on holiday in Italy without her famous cushion-cut diamond engagement ring and wedding band.

 

The singer's 97M followers took to the comments section to ask why she wasn't wearing her sparkler.

 

'Where is her wedding ring?' one wrote, while a different concerned fan added: 'She's not wearing her ring wtf!??'

 

Miley had previously insisted that she didn't view her marriage to actor Liam as traditional, and described their union as 'confusing, complex and modern' in an interview with Elle magazine last month.

 

In the candid chat, Miley, who identifies as pansexual, stated that people find it 'confusing' that she is married, but insisted at the time that their relationship was 'unique'.  

 

She said: 'And I don’t know that I would ever publicly allow people in there because it’s so complex, and modern, and new that I don’t think we're in a place where people would get it...

 

'I mean, do people really think that I’m at home in a f**king apron cooking dinner? I’m in a hetero relationship, but I still am very sexually attracted to women...

 

'I made a partner decision. This is the person I feel has my back the most. I definitely don’t fit into a stereotypical wife role. I don’t even like that word.'

 

The kiss also comes after Kaitlynn recently split from The Hills star Brody Jenner after a year of marriage. 

 

It was revealed when they broke up that the pair were never legally wed in the US, despite a wedding ceremony over seas in Bali, Indonesia. 

 

Brody's rep, Scott Newman, confirmed that the son of Caitlyn Jenner and Kaitlynn had 'decided to amicably separate.'

 

He also stated that, 'they love and respect one another, and know that this is the best decision for their relationship moving forward.' 

 

Brody, 35, appeared to waste no time mourning the relationship as he was spotted partying with a slew of young women just days after the announcement while DJing at Tao Beach Club in Las Vegas.

 

Brody's The Hills: New Beginnings co-star, Spencer Pratt, opened up about the pair's breakup, revealing on his podcast, Make Speidi Famous Again, that he knew they were on the rocks.

 

'I'm not surprised,' he said while talking opposite wife Heidi Montag, 'I feel like I said it — maybe it hasn't aired yet — but that he almost was like a hostage. It felt like he was trying to tell me, "Get me out. Get me out."' 

 

Brody and Kaitlynn announced their engagement back in 2016 and married almost two years later.

 

The Hills reboot has seen the pair showcase their rocky marriage, even leading to fans speculating they have an open relationship.

 

MILEY CYRUS ON MARRIAGE

'I think it's very confusing to people that I'm married. But my relationship is unique. I don't know that I would ever publicly allow people in there because it's so complex, and modern, and new that I don't think we're in a place where people would get it. I mean, do people really think that I'm at home in a f***ing apron cooking dinner? I'm in a hetero relationship, but I still am very sexually attracted to women. People become vegetarian for health reasons, but bacon is still f***ing good, and I know that. I made a partner decision. This is the person I feel has my back the most. I definitely don't fit into a stereotypical wife role. I don't even like that word.'

 

 

 

I would say that losing the house changed us much more than getting married changed us. We've worn rings forever, and I definitely didn't need it in any way. It actually is kind of out of character for me...The reason that people get married sometimes can be old-fashioned, but I think the reason we got married isn’t old-fashioned—I actually think it’s kind of New Age. We’re redefining, to be fucking frank, what it looks like for someone that’s a queer person like myself to be in a hetero relationship. A big part of my pride and my identity is being a queer person.' 

 

MILEY ON NOT HAVING CHILDREN

'The earth is angry. We've been treating it badly...We're getting handed a piece-of-s*** planet, and I refuse to hand that down to my child. Until I feel like my kid would live on an earth with fish in the water, I'm not bringing in another person to deal with that. [millennials] don't want to reproduce because we know that the earth can't handle it.'

 

MILEY ON HER PARENTS' MARRIAGE

'They were always partners. That's why I like that word. "Husband and wife" sounds like a cigarette commercial from the fifties to me. I think about the song Stand By Your Man a lot, and how it was one of my mom's favorites. Did she even realize what it's saying? Like, he's going to get drunk and cheat on you, and when he comes home, you stand by your man because at the end of the day, he loves you. He's just a man. He just had to have sex so bad that he forgot about your feelings. I have a new song Never Be Me and the chorus says, "If you're looking for faithful, that'll never be me. If you're looking for stable, that'll never be me. If you're looking for someone that'll be all that you need, that's never going to be me."'

 

 

 

THE FIRE THAT BROUGHT THEM CLOSER TOGETHER

'Liam and I have also found a new bond underneath all that rubble. Going through a natural disaster, the grief you experience is really unlike any other loss. No more, just different...What Liam and I went through together changed us. I'm not sure without losing Malibu, we would've been ready to take this step or ever even gotten married, who can say? But the timing felt right and I go with my heart...When you experience what we experienced together with someone, it is like glue. You're the only two people in the world who can understand.'

 

'Liam, I've never loved him more than this. He's really, really good. He got a lot of action for saving the animals. He got a lot of action. We had to make sure he knew I was very, very grateful...I call him my "survival partner" now, and he thinks it's not romantic. That is why you pair up with someone is for survival and he was so incredible. He got all the animals out in his truck. He put two pigs in crates, which I tell you is so hard.'

 

MILEY ON BEING PANSEXUAL AND GENDER-FLUID

 

Before kissing Brody Jenner's ex Kaitlynn Carter on a yacht in Italy, the 26-year-old LGBTQ advocate locked lips with models like Cara Delevigne and Stella Maxwell.

 

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'I am literally open to every single thing that is consenting and doesn't involve an animal and everyone is of age. Everything that's legal, I'm down with. Yo, I'm down with any adult - anyone over the age of 18 who is down to love me. I don't relate to being boy or girl, and I don't have to have my partner relate to boy or girl...I remember telling [my mother at age 14] I admire women in a different way. And she asked me what that meant. And I said, "I love them. I love them like I love boys." And it was so hard for her to understand. She didn't want me to be judged and she didn't want me to go to hell. But she believes in me more than she believes in any god. I just asked for her to accept me. And she has.'

 

'I went to the LGBTQ centre here in LA, and I started hearing these stories. I saw one human in particular who didn’t identify as male or female. Looking at them, they were both: beautiful and sexy and tough but vulnerable and feminine but masculine. And I related to that person more than I related to anyone in my life. Even though I may seem very different, people may not see me as neutral as I feel. But I feel very neutral. I think that was the first gender-neutral person I'd ever met. Once I understood my gender more, which was unassigned, then I understood my sexuality more. I was like, "Oh – that’s why I don't feel straight and I don't feel gay. It’s because I'm not."