Elizabeth Hurley’s friends — including Elton John — confused by her new romance with Billy Ray Cyrus: ‘Must be a joke’

Elizabeth Hurley has been looking for love — and she’s apparently found it in the flannel-clad arms of Billy Ray Cyrus.

The model and actress, 59, went public with her new romance with the country singer, 63, on Easter Sunday.

“She’s been waiting a long time for romance. I think she likes the whole cowboy thing,” a Hurley friend told Page Six, adding that the actress flew out to be with Cyrus at his multi-million dollar Nashville estate for the holiday.

But there are some in Hurley’s life who are more than a little trepidatious about this new relationship — including, we are told, one of her best friends, Elton John.

“Liz’s friends think it must be a joke or madness, but they aren’t saying it to her,” said a source in the know. “Elton may not understand this relationship, and is a bit bemused by it. But for all his faults, Elton is really loyal to Liz.”

The superstar is so protective that, 23 years ago, he gave his home to Hurley to recover following the birth of her son Damian. John is also the budding film director’s godfather.

“They are genuinely as tight as family,” said the source.

But, John, 78, is also super close to Miley Cyrus — the Grammy-winning daughter of Cyrus who is reportedly estranged from her father.

We have reached out to reps for Cyrus, Hurley and John.

Hurley took to Instagram again Tuesday to share a video of herself and Cyrus riding off into the sunset in an off-road vehicle with an American flag on the back.

The two met when they starred in the 2022 holiday film “Christmas in Paradise,” alongside Kelsey Grammer.

While the flick got a miserly 11% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Hurley seemed to have enjoyed working with Cyrus.

She told Movieweb that she wanted to do the movie in part for “the opportunity to work with Billy Ray, whom [she’s] long been a fan of.”

While some of Hurley’s friends are scratching their heads over the relationship, one insisted: “This is not a hoax. Liz is not a hoaxy person; she’s very sincere, very bright and I think she likes him.”

Referring to the loved-up image the couple posted on social media, the friend added, “Just look at the photo of them together — she looks happy! People are so quick to be mean.”

Hurley, who was married to businessman Arun Nayar from 2007 to 2010, also famously dated Hugh Grant, and was engaged to the late Australian cricketer Shane Warne. She embarked on a contentious fight with her the late film producer Steve Bing to get him to admit to Damian’s paternity.

She recently starred in Damian’s directorial debut, “Strictly Confidential,” which came out last year.

“Damian is very bright and smart. They are a very loving mother and son — they respect each other and they listen to each other,” said the Hurley friend.

Hurley hinted at her new romance on April 9 when she posted a video of herself frolicking in the Maldives, set to Cyrus’s 1992 hit “She’s Not Cryin’ Anymore” and blowing a kiss to someone off-camera.

Cyrus, meanwhile, has been hard at work in Tennessee with his son Braison, who is producing the singer’s album that’s slated to come out this summer. 

The father-son duo co-wrote the songs. He also worked with Braison, daughter Noah Cyrus, 25, and stars including Billy Idol, Il Divo, and Richard Marx on a charity single benefiting the Prevent Cancer Foundation.

But Cyrus does not, reportedly, have a great relationship with his other kids at the moment.

Indeed, Hurley is potentially wading into a messy family dynamic with him.

Sources familiar with the situation told Page Six in January that Miley hasn’t had a relationship with her father “for a long time” and has “no interest” in repairing things with him.

Son Trace Cyrus, 36, penned a lengthy open letter after his dad’s bizarre performance at Donald Trump’s Inaugural Liberty Ball in January, when Cyrus wandered awkwardly around the stage and melted down over technical difficulties, saying, “Y’all want me to sing more or you just want me to get the hell off the stage? I don’t give a damn.”

Trace wrote that he and members of their family were “genuinely worried” about the patriarch and “barely” recognized him in the performance.

“Me and the girls have been genuinely worried about you for years but you’ve pushed all of us away,” he wrote of his sisters Miley and Noah, as well as Brandi Cyrus, 37.

Trace later claimed that his father had threatened him with legal action.

“I will always love you but I no longer respect you as a man. Everyone close to you is terrified to tell you how they really feel. I’m not. Get help,” Trace wrote on Instagram as he encouraged fans to “Send my dad some words of encouragement guys!! I have faith the man we all once knew is still in there somewhere. We gotta get him back.”

Cyrus has never publicly commented about his son’s remarks, though he did post a message days later that read: “Praying for my family. For my children … sons and daughters…and their mother.”

The rumored family rift that allegedly began shortly after Tish, 57, filed for divorce from Cyrus in April 2022.

He walked down the aisle with Firerose Cyrus (néeJohanna Rose Hodges) in October 2023, then filed for divorce from the singer in May 2024, citing inappropriate marital conduct. Their divorce was finalized in August.

Firerose later told Page Six that Cyrus was insufferable to her during their brief marriage and almost kept her imprisoned at their Tennessee home. “I was afraid to talk and had to ask permission to text,” she said.

Cyrus denied this and accused Firerose of  attempting to “isolate” him from his family by blocking communication with at least one of his daughters. She ended up with no money in their divorce settlement.

But the singer’s past apparently isn’t scaring off Hurley, who lives in England — more than 4,000 miles away from Nashville.

“Liz would not have come out with these images if this was not for real,” said the Hurley pal.