Dr. Drew: Billy Ray Cyrus confused Miley by being a dad-pal-costar

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Dr. Drew Pinsky has a few opinions regarding Billy Ray Cyrus’ recently expressed parental pain — opinions the doc shared on Joy Behar‘s show Wednesday night, saying first that nobody should be taking pot shots at Miley Cyrus’ dad.

‘For a child growing up, it’s very hard for [a parent] to have multiple functions.... In other words, you can’t be the parent and the friend,’ Pinsky said. ‘You can’t be the parent, the friend and the costar. That is very confusing. That creates boundary problems for a child. And therein lays the core of one of the problems that Miley seems to be manifesting now.’

Billy Ray Cyrus told GQ recently that he’d take back the whole ‘Hannah Montana’ thing — he costarred on the Disney series that made his daughter a household name — if it meant his family would still be intact.

Behar took up Billy Ray’s side, pointing out that the country singer was beating himself up, and you had to feel for the guy.

‘I’ve met the man; he’s the sweetest, nicest man you’d ever want to meet,’ Pinsky said. ‘But I don’t think he really understood how he had adulterated his parenting function ... . And he is such a nice guy, he probably had difficulties stepping up and asserting himself when he really needed to.’

The doc appeared on Behar’s ‘Headline News’ show with Sonja Norwood, mom of Brandy and Ray J, and ‘Brady Bunch’ child-acting alum Eve Plumb, who asked, ‘Is it a little too much, a little too late? Or is he going to now become the stricter parent and set a line and retract the photos or change the show? ‘What is he going to change now that he’s got remorse?’

Good questions.

RELATED:

Miley’s parents split: Billy Ray Cyrus files for divorce

Billy Ray Cyrus: ‘Hannah Montana’ destroyed my family

Miley Cyrus bong-smoking video has dad Billy Ray ‘so sad’

— Christie D’Zurilla