Miley Cyrus and Kaitlynn Carter spotted on lunch date in LA

Kaitlynn Carter, Miley Cyrus and Tish Cyrus, pictured in Manhattan last month. The trio were spotted together again on Saturday - this time enjoying lunch in Los Angeles. Photo / Getty Images

Miley Cyrus has been spotted in high spirits as she stepped out for a date with rumoured girlfriend Kaitlynn Carter in Los Angeles, less than two weeks after estranged husband Liam Hemsworth filed for divorce.

The singer, 26, kept an arm slung over The Hills star's shoulders and a big smile on her face as they grabbed lunch with her mum, Tish Cyrus, on Sunday.

The couple even colour-coordinated for the date, with both women in blue denim and white T-shirts.

The outing follows Cyrus' emotional first public appearance post-split. She received a standing ovation at the MTV VMAs for her performance of new single, Slide Away, which is all about the breakdown of her marriage to Hemsworth.

Moments before she took the stage, Carter was seen stroking the singer's hair as they made their way down the hallway, surrounded by people.

Hemsworth filed for divorce from Cyrus late last month, just days after she released Slide Away, citing "irreconcilable differences".

The pair had wed in an intimate ceremony last December after their Malibu home was destroyed in a devastating wildfire.

Miley Cyrus and her ex, Liam Hemsworth, at the 2019 Met Gala in May. Photo / Getty Images

Eight months later, they announced their separation, and photos of Cyrus and Carter kissing on a boat in Italy surfaced shortly afterwards.

Regardless, according to sources close to Cyrus, the singer was blindsided by her estranged husband's decision to file for divorce, just 11 days after their statement painstakingly pointed out their separation was only "at this time".

People magazine reported friends of the star claimed Cyrus ultimately wanted to reconcile with Hemsworth down the track, and was finding it hard readjusting to life in Los Angeles without him.

"They had many happy days together in Los Angeles and now Liam is not around," People quoted the source.

"It's hard for her to be back in LA without him. This is not the situation that she wanted. She hoped they could figure things out."