Miley Cyrus’s fiancé, Liily drummer Maxx Morando, has revealed new details about how he proposed to her, describing a carefully hidden plan that played out in a garden in Kyoto, Japan.
Miley Cyrus and Maxx Morando, together since 2021, got engaged in late 2025 during a trip to Japan. Morando, a 27-year-old drummer for the Los Angeles band Liily, recently described proposing in a secluded Kyoto garden on the final day of their trip after working to keep the moment a surprise despite the couple having discussed engagement beforehand.
Who Is Maxx Morando
Morando was born November 16, 1998, in Los Angeles. He started his music career as a teenager drumming for the punk band The Regrettes, which released its debut album, “Feel Your Feelings Fool!,” in 2017. He later left that group and joined the Los Angeles alternative rock band Liily, where he remains the drummer.
Beyond performing, Morando works as a songwriter and producer. He contributed production and writing credits to tracks on Cyrus’s 2023 album “Endless Summer Vacation,” including “Handstand” and “Violet Chemistry,” and later worked on songs for her 2025 album “Something Beautiful”. Those credits have made him more than a celebrity partner; his own career in production and alternative rock predates his public profile as Cyrus’s fiancé.
How They Met
Cyrus and Morando were introduced on a blind date through mutual friends in 2021. Cyrus has said the setup felt one-sided at the time, since Morando reportedly knew who she was beforehand. They made their first public appearance together at the Gucci Love Parade fashion show in Los Angeles in November 2021, and rumors intensified after they were seen together during Cyrus’s NBC New Year’s Eve special that December. By April 2022, photos of the two kissing in West Hollywood effectively confirmed the relationship.
The Kyoto Proposal
Morando gave his most detailed account of the proposal in a July 2026 interview with Wonderland Magazine. He said he and Cyrus had both wanted to visit Japan for years and traveled to Tokyo before continuing to Kyoto. Because the couple had already discussed the possibility of an engagement before the trip, Morando said he had to work harder than usual to keep the exact timing a secret.
He waited until their last day in Kyoto. While walking the grounds of their hotel, he noticed a small garden area across a plank walkway marked as off-limits to guests. He convinced Cyrus to cross it with him. Once inside the quiet, wooded space, Cyrus turned away to film the surroundings on her phone. That is when Morando got down on one knee and tapped her on the shoulder.
Morando described feeling nervous only in the moments before proposing, saying his heart was pounding and that he did not want to fumble the ring. Cyrus later told a national television audience she was genuinely caught off guard, saying she typically likes to control situations but had “completely surrendered” in that moment.
Engagement Goes Public
The couple’s engagement became public knowledge on December 1, 2025, when Cyrus wore a diamond ring to the Los Angeles premiere of “Avatar: Fire and Ash”.A source confirmed the engagement to entertainment outlets including People the following day, and Cyrus’s father, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, congratulated the couple publicly on social media shortly after.
Representatives for Cyrus later confirmed that her engagement ring was custom designed by jeweler Jacquie Aiche. It features a cushion-cut diamond set in a thick 14-karat yellow gold band. Cyrus has not publicly disclosed the exact date of the proposal, though the couple was seen traveling in Japan in late 2025.
Wedding Plans Remain Private
As of mid-2026, Cyrus and Morando have not confirmed a wedding date. A source close to the couple told People in March 2026 that Morando’s preference for privacy will shape the event, describing plans for something “smaller and meaningful” rather than a large, traditional Hollywood wedding.
In May 2026, comments made by Cyrus’s mother, Tish Cyrus, at a public event referring to Morando as her “husband” prompted speculation that the couple may have already married privately. Neither Cyrus nor Morando has addressed those rumors, and no marriage has been officially confirmed.
A Continued Creative Partnership
Music remains a consistent thread in the relationship. Beyond his production work on Cyrus’s last two albums, Morando has continued performing with Liily, and Cyrus has said in interviews that her forthcoming music reflects where she currently is in her life, describing themes of settled, grounded love running through her recent work.
Compared with her previous high-profile marriage to actor Liam Hemsworth, which ended in divorce in 2020, Cyrus and Morando have kept a noticeably lower public profile, limiting their joint appearances mostly to select red carpet events, including the 2026 Grammy Awards.
For now, the confirmed facts are straightforward: Cyrus and Morando are engaged, the proposal took place in Japan in late 2025, and both have described wanting an intimate wedding built around privacy rather than spectacle. Any further details about a ceremony or date remain unconfirmed.
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