It was a one in a million chance Maxx Morando would catch Miley Cyrus off guard—but he did it.
After all, the Hannah Montana alum admitted she was genuinely shocked by her recent engagement to the Liily drummer, gushing in a Dec. 3 appearance on Good Morning America that he popped the question during a recent trip to Japan.
“I am not easy to surprise,” Miley admitted. “I love to control every situation. I had completely surrendered. I’m telling you, I was so, so, so surprised.”
The location also felt extremely personal, as Miley had never been to Japan before her man got down on one knee. As she put it, “I wanted one place in the world that could be my special place that I saved for me.”
And in showing off the ring—a simple gold band allowing the large, dazzling diamond to take center stage—Miley emphasized, “He did good!”
With the engagement coming on the heels of the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash—for which Miley wrote the song “Dream as One”—the 33-year-old shared that it feels like her life “has been perfectly aligned,” by hitting such big milestone in her four-year romance.
“It’s very the obvious the amount of drastic growth I’ve had in those four years,” Miley explained. “You want to dream the biggest you can and you want to have someone by your side who always tells you you can do it.”
Indeed, Miley also admitted that she has been “astounded” by her ability to keep her engagement to the 27-year-old mostly under wraps until the couple was ready to share.
“Our privacy and us kind of keeping it small has been something that I've been astounded that I've actually been able to have, and being able to kind of have more choice." she explained to People Dec. 2. “It's also being older, being more protective of what I'm open to sharing.”
Throughout her relationship with Maxx, which began back in 2021, Miley has emphasized that no one can love her better than he can.
“I ended up with a person who means a lot to me and treats me really well and respects me,” she told The Cut in September. “My man’s hot as hell too.”
For a deeper look at Miley and Maxx’s romance, keep reading…
November 2021
Miley Cyrus and musician Maxx Morando began dating in 2021. "We got put on a blind date," she recalled to British Vogue in 2023. "Well, it was blind for me and not really for him. I thought, 'The worst that can happen is I leave.'"
Miley didn't leave and, as their romance blossomed, the pair went red carpet official at the Gucci Love Parade event on November 2, 2021.
May 2022
Miley and Maxx, who is a drummer in the band Liily, enjoyed a night out seeing Chicago on Broadway.
March 2023
The "Flowers" singer and her boyfriend stepped out together at a Versace runway show in West Hollywood on March 9, 2023.
February 2024
Maxx was by Miley's side when she won her first-ever Grammy at the 2024 award ceremony. The couple even shared a sweet smooch at their table during the event, and Miley referred to Maxx in her acceptance speech as "my love."
February 2025
They returned to the Grammy Awards in 2025 for another public date night. "He’s very similar to me," Miley told Harper's Bazaar in an interview published November 2024. "We just don’t take life too seriously."
February 2025
Maxx, who is six years younger than the Hannah Montana star, joined Miley on the red carpet at SNL50: The Anniversary Special, to celebrate 50 years of Saturday Night Live.
March 2025
The musicians got glammed up for a big night out at the 2025 Oscars ceremony.
March 2025
And later that night they stepped out in fresh looks for an appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party.