Liam Hemsworth and Gabriella Brooks announced their engagement on Friday with a black-and-white Instagram post that prompted an outpouring of congratulations — and a wave of comments referencing Hemsworth’s high-profile past marriage to pop star Miley Cyrus.
The 35-year-old actor shared images showing Brooks embracing him and prominently displaying a diamond ring; Brooks captioned the post with a single white heart emoji. While many followers sent well wishes, several used the post to mention Cyrus, who was married to Hemsworth for less than a year. One user wrote, “Omg I thought she is Miley,” another posted, “I love Miley Cyrus!” and others observed the couple’s ties to Cyrus by referencing her former backup dancer status.
Some commenters defended the couple and criticized the negative responses. Supporters praised the pair and urged detractors to refrain from bringing up past relationships, noting that people move on and that the announcement was a private milestone deserving congratulations. Several friends and followers offered effusive messages of joy, calling the news “major” and expressing happiness for the couple.
Hemsworth and Cyrus first met while filming The Last Song and began an on-again, off-again relationship in 2010. They were engaged in 2012, split in 2013, reunited in 2016, and married in December 2018. The couple separated in August 2019 and finalized their divorce in January 2020. Hemsworth is believed to have started dating Brooks in December 2019, and the pair made their first red-carpet appearance together in November 2020. Tabloid photos published earlier this month by New Idea showed the couple kissing on a Byron Bay beach and spending New Year’s Eve together.
Brooks has maintained a relatively private profile alongside Hemsworth but has an emerging modeling career. She made her catwalk debut at the 2023 Australia Fashion Week during the Cue show, where Cue’s brand director, Kate Bielenberg, praised her performance. The couple rarely posts together and have shared only a handful of photos publicly since they began their relationship.
The engagement post follows earlier social-media sniping directed at Brooks; she was criticised online after marking Hemsworth’s 35th birthday in January. In the latest announcement, the mixture of congratulations and references to Hemsworth’s past highlights how public figures’ personal milestones can prompt both celebration and scrutiny across social platforms.
Representatives for Hemsworth and Brooks did not immediately respond to requests for comment.