Miley Cyrus has kept much of her relationship private, but key public moments—an engagement ring at the December 2025 Avatar: Fire and Ash premiere and a “husband” moment at her May 2026 Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony—have thrust Maxx Morando into the spotlig
Miley Cyrus might be the one with the global spotlight, but the name now attached to her next chapter—Maxx Morando—has started showing up in the moments that make headlines.
The couple began dating in 2021 and, for the most part, kept their relationship out of public view. That changed in December 2025. when Cyrus was spotted wearing a diamond ring on her wedding finger at the Avatar: Fire and Ash premiere. Neither musician has announced when they’re getting married. but that hasn’t stopped the world from looking closer at the man beside her. By May 2026, Cyrus’ mother, Tish, was reportedly heard calling Maxx “Miley’s ‘husband’” at her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.
Morando’s story isn’t built on fame. It’s built on music—and a creative streak that reaches beyond the kit.
He’s a multi-instrument player. not just a drummer
Maxx Morando wrote “I’m Maxx Morando” for Modern Drummer in 2016. when he was 18. In that piece. he said he’s been “playing drums since I was eight” and joined School of Rock in Hollywood. where he met bandmates Sage. Genessa. and Lydia of the Regrettes. He also named his main influences as Phil Collins, Keith Moon, and Jack Bevan.
While drums are what brought him into the conversation, he’s also shown he can play guitar—something he demonstrated during an Instagram Live video in 2020.
He played drums for The Regrettes from 2015 to 2018
Before Liily. Morando played drums for the punk rock band The Regrettes from 2015 to 2018. He met Lydia Night, Sage Chavis, and Genessa Gariano while attending music school. The group released their debut EP, Hey!, in 2015, followed by their debut album, Feel Your Feelings Fool!, in 2017.
Morando described the band’s recording process to Modern Drummer. saying they were “excited that the incredible Mike Elizondo produced our record.” He said the process was “extremely fun and taught me so much. ” and that they recorded live. straight to tape. in the same room. at the same time. He added that the approach pushed him to focus on getting the best take because he “couldn’t go back and re-do little parts. ” which initially made him start to stiffen before he loosened up and played more comfortably.
He left The Regrettes in 2018 after the release of their Attention Seeker EP. Not long after, he formed Liily.
He helped form Liily and the band released its debut in 2021
After leaving The Regrettes. Morando teamed up with Dylan Nash. guitarist Sam De La Torre. and bassist Charlie Anastasis to form Liily. In a 2018 comment to Soundazed. he said they all “knew each other and ran in the same circle of friends. ” with some having gone to school together and others knowing each other since they were around seven.
Liily released their debut single, “Toro,” in late 2018. The band built buzz over the following years, described as a “riffy, aggressive alt-rock combo from Los Angeles.” Their debut album, TV or Not TV, landed in 2021.
He also found a creative path in design—and worked with Cyrus on fashion
Morando isn’t only a musician. In September, Cyrus told Vogue that he helped create one of her festival looks alongside designer Shane Kastl.
“This look is a one-of-a-kind collaboration between two of my favorite emerging artists. Maxx Morando and Shane Kastl. ” Cyrus told the publication. She framed it as “the perfect example of sustainability becoming the next fashion phase. ” adding that it “proves that anything can be reinvented. ” something that “resonates with me deeply.”.
Earlier. in September 2021. Morando shared Cyrus’ post to his Instagram Story. writing. “Collabed with @shane_kastl to make this look!” The outfit described in the reporting was a colorful patchwork: Miley wore white short-shorts and a jacket with different colored sleeves. with both pieces covered in vibrant painted designs.
He and Cyrus met on a blind date—and reportedly live together
Cyrus has said their connection started with a blind date. In a cover story interview with British Vogue. the “Adore You” singer explained. “We got put on a blind date.” She clarified that it was “blind for me and not really for him. ” adding. “I thought. ‘The worst that can happen is I leave.’”.
By February 2024, People reported that a source said Cyrus and Maxx were living together. The insider described Cyrus as “very happy with him,” and said, “Everyone loves Maxx. He’s a great guy. He’s private and doesn’t like being in the press. It’s been good for her.”
Those details—his music roots, his collaboration on fashion, and Cyrus’ own account of how they began—help explain why Morando feels less like a surprise and more like a figure who’s been quietly building a life alongside hers.
He hasn’t made himself a public character. Instead. his presence shows up in the things people can see: the ring at the December 2025 Avatar: Fire and Ash premiere. the “husband” remark heard at her May 2026 Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony. and the creative work that has already crossed between their worlds.
Maxx Morando Miley Cyrus engagement Hollywood Walk of Fame Avatar: Fire and Ash The Regrettes Liily Vogue Shane Kastl Modern Drummer British Vogue School of Rock