Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus‘ bond runs deep.
The country superstar is not only the “Flowers” singer’s godmother but she’s long been Miley’s industry mentor. And even more recently, she learned they are actually biologically related.
“Is that true? That’s amazing!” Parton exclaimed in an interview with Access Hollywood published Sept 23 after learning Ancestry.com confirmed the relation. “Well, we’re so close, Miley and I, I thought we would have been at least third cousins, ten times removed.”
In reality, the duo, according to the ancestry site, are seventh cousins, once removed. Noting that the Hannah Montana star would “get a kick out of” learning about their connection, Parton added, “But it doesn’t surprise me because she does feel like family.”
According to the ancestry records, the two music superstars share a mutual great grandfather named John Brickley, who lived in Blunt County, Tennessee—about 20 miles from Dollywood—in the early 1800s.
And since Miley’s early days in Hollywood—Dolly played her character’s godmother on Hannah Montana—the “9 to 5” singer has been by her side.
“There’s this unspoken ‘I’ve got your back,’ and anything that would ever happen, I know she could pick up,” Miley told E! News in 2022. “She’s so professional, she’s so on top of it.”
Katherine Bomboy/NBC via Getty ImagesThe “We Can’t Stop” singer also gushed about the lessons her godmother has taught her through the years during her appearance on season five of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman, saying, “She isn’t afraid to have the tough conversations.”
As for advice, one piece that’ll always stick out to the 31-year-old is, Dolly’s mantra, “You do you, I’ll do me, and together we’ll be us.”
While Miley isn’t afraid to gush over Dolly, the 78-year-old is sending the love right back.
“She’s so talented, so special. She knows who she is,” Dolly said on The Drew Barrymore Show in 2023. “People are always saying, ‘Do you tell Miley what to do?’ I say, ‘No, Miley’s Miley. Miley’s gonna know what to do. She knows who she is. She knows what she needs. She goes about it and she’s willing to sacrifice for it.’ And I always have been too.”
