Back in June, The National Enquirer and other tabloids began reporting that Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus had broken up – and that Liam was the one who was tired of Miley’s drama, etc. Within hours, Miley had issued a denial and the next day, Miley trotted (heh) Liam out for a forced-looking photo op. At the time, I thought they were dumb kids, but they were still together – for the time being. Well, it’s looking like it really is O-V-E-R now. Gossip Cop broke the story late Wednesday that Liam and Miley split “pretty recently.” Liam’s rep confirmed it, and Liam’s friend tells the site that Hemsworth is completely “single.” Miley and Liam were together for more than a year… I’m thinking they were together for something like 15 or 16 months…? Pretty good run for such a young couple, in my opinion. Us Weekly has more:

Miley Cyrus is back on the market. The teen queen, 17, has split with Aussie actor Liam Hemsworth, Hemsworth rep tells UsMagazine.com. (Cyrus’ rep had no comment.)

The two met in 2009 on the set of The Last Song, based on the Nicholas Sparks novel.
This past March, she told Ellen DeGeneres when she was first introduced to Hemsworth, 20, she didn’t think anything of it.

“I was actually going through a tough time,” she said. “I was like, guys just need to be out of my life for a little while. [I thought] ‘I just need to alone.'”

“But I met him, and he opened the door for me, and I was like, I have been in L.A. for three years and I don’t think any guy has actually opened the door for me,” she went on. “It wasn’t that he wanted the job. That’s just who he is. I was like, ‘Wow, that is super-impressive.’ I actually turned to the director and said, ‘He’s got the job.’ He’s hot and he opened the door. Excellent.”

At the March 25 L.A. premiere of Last Song, he told Us they had “a lot of fun” filming the romantic drama.

“It was pretty much jokes every day,” he said. “Jokes and shooting on the beach — there wasn’t much to complain about!”

The same month, she gushed to Parade: “[Liam has] become my best friend in the whole wide world. I love him. He really respects me for who I am because coming from Australia, he really didn’t know me as the celebrity I am here. I got to tell him about myself on my own terms and my own way. He had no preconceived notion of who I was supposed to be.”

In June, she took to her website to deny rumors that they’ve called it quits. On her website, she told fans: “Just wanna clear up a rumor. Liam [Hemsworth] and I did not break. EVER! We are so happy and a lot of that has to do with the amazing relationship he has with my family.”

[From Us Weekly]

You know what? I actually think it’s totally mean and cruel to throw all of those quotes up from Miley – we get it, you know? She was (and is) a dumb kid who overshared about her “love” because she was all of 16 years old. Give her a break! And I also think that in reality, Liam did the dumping. Miley’s reps aren’t saying anything, which means that she doesn’t know what to say. Which means (to me) that she’s probably devastated. I feel for her! Go ahead, Miley. Have a good cry, eat some ice cream and take a vacation. They come back and chomp your way through an honest yet heartbreaking interview-slash-a cappella performance of “Every Rose Has a Thorn”. Team Miley.

UPDATE: Oooh… Ted Casablanca (eh) at E! News is basically saying that Miley dumped Liam because she’s so focused on work right now and Liam is a “distraction,” AND because Liam has been screwing around on her. Casablanca sites some sources who claim that in early August, Liam cheated on Miley and then went to Michigan (where she’s filming LOL), but only stayed for 24 hours. Ted is really pushing the “Miley dumped Liam” angle.

Liam and Miley in happier times. Photo credits: WENN.