Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth announced their separation in August, months after their December 2018 wedding. But things seem to be heating up (or cooling down?) between the singer and The Hills' Kaitlynn Carter.
Cyrus and Carter sparked romance rumors shortly after the pop star's breakup news, as photos surfaced showing the two locking lips in Italy. Since then, they've been seen out together from L.A. to NYC, but they hadn't publicly confirmed their relationship status. Now, reports are saying that the two have called things off.
Here's what we know about Cyrus and Carter's speculated romance so far.
Early August: They separate from their husbands.
Before Cyrus and Carter ignited dating rumors during their joint Italian vacay, they both announced their separations from their husbands. Carter and Jenner went public with their split on August 2 after a year of marriage and about four years of dating. (They wed in Indonesia in 2018 but reportedly never got a legal marriage license.)
Cyrus and Hemsworth broke news of their separation on August 10 after almost eight months of marriage and 10 years together. A rep for the singer said, "Ever-evolving, changing as partners and individuals, they have decided this is what's best while they both focus on themselves and careers. They still remain dedicated parents to all of their animals they share while lovingly taking this time apart."
Cyrus, Hemsworth, Carter, and Jenner were all friends before their respective breakups, according to Entertainment Tonight. "The four of them have spent time together in Malibu. Brody and Liam are both into surfing and are friends," a source told the site.
August 10, 2019: The kissing photos surface.
Cyrus and Carter were photographed kissing on August 9 during their vacation in Lake Como, and photos hit the press the next day. The two were seen cozying up by the pool at the Il Sereno Hotel, wearing bikinis, and packing on the PDA under the sun. A source told Entertainment Tonight at the time that Cyrus and Carter were "not trying to hide" their shows of affection.
Following the viral PDA, sources told People and Entertainment Tonight that Carter and Cyrus's relationship wasn't romantic; they're "just having fun."
An insider also told Page Six that Jenner is "still friends" with Cyrus and Carter, and that there was "no drama" between them. Jenner's friend and Hills costar Brandon Lee, on the other hand, thought Miley and Kaitlynn were just "messing with their two ex-husbands" with their PDA.
August 2019: The girls trip continues.
After the make-out photos made news, Cyrus and Carter continued to spend time abroad, romping around Italy with friends on an Instagrammable vacation. They posted photos of boat rides, hikes, and downtime together, often with the singer's sister Brandi Cyrus.
August 14, 2019: They’re back in California together.
After their Italian vacation, Cyrus and Carter were seen together again in L.A. There was no PDA this time around; they were in a car together with Cyrus driving and Carter in the passenger seat, according to photos shared by Entertainment Tonight.
August 26, 2019: They hold hands at the VMAs after-party.
After Cyrus performed her heartbreaking breakup song about her split with Liam Hemsworth at the 2019 MTV VMAs, she headed to the after-party hand in hand with Carter. Carter was also seen walking with Cyrus backstage during the show.
September 1, 2019: They have brunch with Miley’s mom.
Carter accompanied Cyrus during a brunch date with the pop singer's mom, Tish Cyrus. The two were spotting twinning in white tees and denim bottoms, according to photos published by the Daily Mail. Cyrus was all smiles as she walked with her arm around Carter's shoulders.
September 2, 2019: They reportedly move in together.
A source at People revealed that Carter and Cyrus have moved in together. "Miley is doing great. She is moving on," the insider said. "She seems to have no regrets. She loves being with Kaitlynn." If the rumor is true, the move comes not even a month after Cyrus and Hemsworth first announced their separation.
September 3, 2019: Spencer Pratt hints Miley and Kaitlynn have history.
Pratt, who appears on The Hills: New Beginnings with Carter and Jenner, told Cosmopolitan that Kaitlynn "had a thing going with Miley" before splitting with Brody. He added, "She already had something going on with her when these scenes were filming—maybe not physically, but definitely emotionally."
September 4, 2019: Kaitlynn celebrates her birthday with Miley.
Carter rung in her 31st birthday with Cyrus by her side. In a series of photos the birthday girl posted to her Instagram Story, she shared three pictures of her and Cyrus posing for the camera. Although the two have yet to publicly address the dating rumors, they seem to have no qualms about sharing photos of each other with their followers.
September 9, 2019: Kaitlynn gets flirty on Instagram and talks open relationships.
After Cyrus uploaded photos of herself on Instagram rocking some dark shades, a fuzzy hat, and a revealing open button-down, Carter left a comment on her post that seems to confirm something is definitely going on between the two of them. "Dear god," Carter wrote, including an emoji of a drooling face.
And during The Hills finale, Carter seemed to imply that her marriage to Brody Jenner was an open relationship. When asked whether or not Jenner had slept with other women, Carter simply responded, "Not without me being involved, okay? Everything with me and Brody is under my control, let's put it that way."
She also added, "There's not one part of our relationship that I'm ashamed of or that I would do differently. I just think that the world isn't necessarily ready to hear about all that. Not everybody is so open-minded or accepting of other people. But as long as what we're doing is working for us, that's the most important thing."
September 10, 2019: They match at Fashion Week.
After Cyrus attended the Tom Ford show at New York Fashion Week, she and Carter were seen holding hands while out and about in the city. The pair matched in all black looks, with Carter in a blazer and leather skirt and Cyrus in an oversized coat.
September 14, 2019: They take their matching style to L.A.
After their joint NYFW appearances, Cyrus and Carter wore coordinating outfits again, this time in Los Angeles. Sporting black T-shirts and ripped jeans, the duo had their arms around each other while out and about.
September 2019: They're spotted making out at a party.
Us Weekly reported on September 15 that earlier in the month, Cyrus and Carter had a conspicuous PDA session at Deryck Todd's Strut party in New York City. The couple danced together and were "clearly having a good time," a source told the outlet. They were "stealing kisses and being cute," the insider added. "At one point, Miley and Kaitlynn were making out against a wall in full view of everyone."
September 21, 2019: Miley and Kaitlynn's split is revealed.
People reported that following their summer romance, Cyrus and Carter had decided to stop dating. A source allegedly revealed to the publication, "Miley and Kaitlynn broke up," before confirming that, "They're still friends."
The source also explained, "They've been friends forever and were there for each other when they were both getting separated." But when it comes to dating, "they're just not in a romantic relationship anymore."
Entertainment Tonight confirmed the split, with a source telling the site, "Miley and Kaitlynn are no longer together romantically. They have been there for each other through tough times recently but decided it's best to be friends."
September 25, 2019: Miley is "looking forward to being single."
Days after the reports of the split broke, a source told People that Miley is "looking forward to being single after her split from Kaitlynn. Their fling was a "happy surprise," but Cyrus reportedly felt like her relationship with Carter was "almost moving in [the same] direction" as her relationship with Liam Hemsworth, the insider added.
Another source previously told the outlet that Cyrus "doesn't want a serious relationship" and wants to "focus on her career."
The news also arrives after Miley shared images from an outdoorsy hiking vacation with her sister Brandi and mom, Tish. The singer called the post-split getaway a "necessary Mom n Sister trip" on Instagram.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
As an associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, Chelsey keeps a finger on the pulse on all things celeb news. She also writes on social movements, connecting with activists leading the fight on workers' rights, climate justice, and more. Offline, she’s probably spending too much time on TikTok, rewatching Emma (the 2020 version, of course), or buying yet another corset.
