Dolly Parton always said that Miley Cyrus felt "like a daughter" to her, so she wasn't surprised when she learned the close pair were actually related.
In 2024, the late country music icon, who died at 80 on August 25, 2026, after a "brief battle with cancer," discovered that Miley was more than just her goddaughter; she was a blood relation too.
Dolly and Miley are seventh cousins once removed, sharing a common ancestor from Tennessee, according to Ancestry.
Dolly's sixth-great-grandfather, John Brickey, is Miley's seventh-great-grandfather. Born in Virginia in 1740, he moved to Blount County, Tennessee, with his wife and children, where he remained until he died in 1806.
"It doesn't surprise me because she does feel like family. I've always said she feels like a niece or a child," Dolly told Access Hollywood when they shared the news.
"We're so close, Miley and I: I would've thought we'd have been at least third cousins, 10 times removed," she jokingly added. "I'm sure she'll get a kick out of that."
© Getty ImagesIndeed, Miley previously told W magazine that her godmother had "been like a mother to me," as she revealed Dolly had faxed her once on Mother's Day: "'How much do I love you? As much as my heart can hold and as far as my arms can reach,'" the note from Dolly read.
Miley continued: "It gets me choked up. I just love her so much. Last Christmas, she gave me a whole mannequin, done in her proportions and wearing her outfit. It's so major."
Meanwhile, Dolly told the London Evening Standard of their bond: "Miley became my goddaughter; I was her fairy godmother. We really have a true bond; she is like a daughter to me."
© Getty ImagesDolly was so close to her goddaughter that she even made cameo appearances on Miley's breakout show Hannah Montana. The singer appeared three times as 'Aunt Dolly' during the four seasons, making the show even more of a family affair, with Miley's father, Billy Ray Cyrus, playing her dad on camera as well.
The duo collaborated on several occasions, performing duets to classics like "Jolene," "I Will Always Love You," and even Miley's own hit "Wrecking Ball."
© Getty ImagesDolly is so close to her goddaughter that she even made cameo appearances on Miley's breakout show Hannah Montana. The singer appeared three times as Aunt Dolly throughout the four seasons, making the show even more of a family affair as Miley's father, Billy Ray Cyrus, played her dad on camera as well.
The duo have collaborated on a number of occasions, performing duets to classics like "Jolene," "I Will Always Love You," and even Miley's own hit "Wrecking Ball."
Miley said of working with her godmother: "There's a chemistry, and a realness, and a love, and a connection that Dolly and I have that I really feel."
Miley's reaction to Dolly's death
© Getty ImagesMiley shared a moving and emotional tribute to her "Aunt Dolly" following the singer's death.
"The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share," the "Flowers" singer penned on Instagram. "Our most sacred moments were private and they'll stay there behind the stage, beneath the [glamor] & between our hearts."
© Getty Images"What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong. I have an angel by my side. I always have," she continued, elaborating a bit on one of their final tender moments together. "One of our last conversations was about music and metamorphosis."
Miley continued: "I will always love her and want to make her proud. My heart breaks for the world, her family and friends who will miss her deeply. We're in this loss together and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things."
