Miley Cyrus upset over 'Vanity Fair' photos

There's another big row over photos of Miley Cyrus -- but this time the near-kiddie-porn images are the handiwork of celebrity shooter Annie Leibovitz, and are appearing in the latest issue of Vanity Fair. Photos showing the 15-year-old wrapped in a satin bedsheet and showing her bare back accompany an interview with the singer and her father, Billy Ray. And in case you think that was kinda sort of a problem with folks, you'd be right.

"I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed," Miley said Sunday in a statement. "I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about."

That's a far cry from what Miley says in a caption for a photo released last week, in which she says: "I think it's really artsy. It wasn't in a skanky way. Annie took, like, a beautiful shot, and I thought that was really cool. That's what she wanted me to do, and you can't say no to Annie."

Her handlers at the Disney Channel are unhappy too, saying in a statement that "a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines." Because Disney never manipulates children for entertainment, of course.

Vanity Fair defended its photo shoot on Entertainment Tonight, pointing out that, "Miley's parents and/or minders were on the set all day. Since the photo was taken digitally, they saw it on the shoot and everyone thought it was a beautiful and natural portrait of Miley."

Leibovitz has her say, as well, defending the photographs by lamenting, "I'm sorry that my portrait of Miley has been misinterpreted. Miley and I looked at fashion photographs together and we discussed the picture in that context before we shot it. The photograph is a simple, classic portrait, shot with very little makeup, and I think it is very beautiful."

We've got video of the Feb. 9 photo shoot, and we have to say, it's almost gross. A Chris Gaines lookalike stroking his midriff-baring teenaged daughter is a little too north Georgia, you know? And why is everyone mad at Miley? They should be keeping their powder dry for Leibovitz, who should know better than to go all Pretty Baby during the shoot with a girl who's worth $1 billion.

[Photo: Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair, on the cover of the New York Post. How's that for attribution?]

Comments

i am very dissapointed in miley but she is still a true friend who i have never seen or gone to her concert.miley,never say yes to those who knows what

[Tania]

This is crazy. I saw NOTHING wrong with the photo shoot of Miley and her Dad. Looks like a loving father and his little girl to me. As for the picture of her wraped in a sheet. I wouldn't have allowed my daughter to pose that way. But as was said in other posts, girls wear less to the beach all the time. And a back-less prom dress would reveal just as much. She's a teenager. Let her be just that. Not everything has to be porn....

[Max]

What suckers people are, debating a non-issue just to create publicity, they play the public and it works everytime. FACT: Her mother and father were both at the shoot, they allowed it and they would've stopped it if they didn't want it to happen. Now go buy the magazine to complete their plan.

[Olivia]

First of all, Miley is not the person that Disney would like everyone to think she is. My friend took her kids to see the Hanna Montana concert in Vegas and they stayed on the same floor in the hotel as Miley. There were 5 girls under the age of 13 who worshipped Miley Cyrus. They ran into her in the hallway and she wouldn't talk to them. She only scowled. The girls were heartbroken and needless to say, are no longer fans. My friend said that Miley's mother tried to be nice to the girls, especially when the 8 year old started crying at the snub, but Miley kept going down the hall. This is how she treats her fans.

[louise]

this is not news. go to the beach and see younger girls wearing less. how is it acceptable for girls under 18 to wear a bathing suit? is this just a reason to make a big deal out of nothing? i guess we need to take all minors and lock them up so nobody can see them. this is only sick to people who are sick. if you have a problem with this then pass a law requiring everyone to cover there whole body until 18 years of age otherwise shut the hell up and find some real news.

[ja]

Miley and company knew exactly what they were doing.........

[Matt]

Who is more "skanky": the photographer, or the father who is living off the whoring of his child?

[Matt]

Who is more "skanky": the photographer, or the father who is living off the whoring of his child?

[Lily]

Modesty is a lost art in society. Paris, Britney and the like are so far off the wholesome track, it's easy to see why parents overlooked the bra-baring, midriff baring, scantily clad clothing of Miley Cyrus and saw her as wholesome and encouraged their children to look up to her. Perhaps this "scandal" will serve as a catalyst for self-examination and we will realize as a society how accepting we are of girls and women exposing themselves on a regular basis. I'm in my early thirties and still wondering when heavy eyeliner and red lipstick on a 15 year old became "very little makeup." When I was 15, chapstick was "very little makeup" and sweet pink or clear lip gloss was makeup for me and for many of my classmates.

If this leads the Cyrus family to re-examine and change their dress and conduct, perhaps Miss Cyrus can be the admirable girl so many think she is.

[CrazyIvan]

Yawwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

[Mikey]

I would never pose with my daughter in photos like this. This is sick. They are eating up the attention, and that makes them a lot of $.

[Dave]

How is she topless? It's no more revealing than a backless prom dress, which 15-year-olds are photographed in all the time.

Wow, people are so uptight over nothing.

[fairplay]

It was a mistake, not meant to be a sexual promotion. Dad, too close. She's becoming a woman. Annie, what were you thinking? Never mind, I don't want to know. Let's learn something and move on.

[mguerre]

Billy Ray grew up in eastern Kentucky and was discovered playing a bar in West Virginia. Need I say more?!!

[Grossed Out]

Photos of a topless 15 year old- Isn't this illegal??

[Naomi]

Here she comes Miss Another-scanky-teen-idol...I swear kids are always goings to be exposed to teen idols like that. It's sad because I don't want my childern to look up to something like that. I'm REALLY glad that I didn't look up to the 90's pop idols that I grew up with but still it's sad and it makes me sick.

[gp martin]

What is the suprise...another example of the "hollywood" perversion of a teen "idol"--her parents are scum ...and she is being taken down the same path of the other "whores" promoted by the rulers of media in America

[john]

watch out billy ray, you know you gotta duck when you get a blessing. satan doesn't play fair and our society is so lost in the area of morality they will pervert innocence in a second. leave the girl alone you people in the press really really need to find something worthwhile. this isn't it.