Dolly Parton is Miley Cyrus’s godmother and, as recently confirmed by ancestry research, also her distant cousin.

Their family connection

  • Dolly Parton has long been known publicly as Miley Cyrus’s godmother, a title she received because of her close friendship with Miley’s father, Billy Ray Cyrus, dating back to the early 1990s.
  • In 2024, genealogy research revealed that Parton and Cyrus are actually blood relatives: they are seventh cousins, once removed, through a shared ancestor named John Brickey, born in 1740 in Virginia.

Relationship and roles

  • Parton has described Miley as feeling like family and has often spoken about their close bond, blurring the lines between godmother, mentor, and honorary aunt.
  • Miley has said that Dolly has been like a mother figure to her, praising her guidance and support throughout her career.

On screen and in music

  • Dolly appeared on Miley’s Disney Channel show Hannah Montana as “Aunt Dolly,” reflecting their real-life closeness.
  • They have collaborated on songs such as “Rainbowland” and holiday music, and they co-hosted a New Year’s Eve TV special together, reinforcing their public image as a tight-knit duo.

In short

  • To Miley Cyrus, Dolly Parton is:
    1. Her godmother.
2. Her distant cousin (seventh cousin, once removed).

3. A long‑time mentor and maternal figure in her life and career.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.