The photographer calls the b-re-back image of Cyrus a “simple, classic portrait.”
Annie Leibovitz, the photographer who took provocative photos of Miley Cyrus for the June issue of Vanity Fair, is defending her portrayal of the 15-year-old star.
“I’m sorry that my portrayal of Miley was misinterpreted,” she said in a statement released by Vanity Fair. “Miley and I looked at fashion photos together and discussed the photo in that context before taking it. The photo is a simple, classic portrait, taken with very little makeup, and I think it’s very beautiful.”
On Sunday, Cyrus said she was “embarrassed” by the photos and apologized to her fans.
“I participated in a photo shoot that was supposed to be ‘artistic’ and now seeing the photos and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed,” she said in a statement. “I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who mean so much to me.”
Cyrus, the daughter of country music star Billy Ray Cyrus, is the singing and acting sensation known to her legions of teenage fans of the Disney Channel series “Hannah Montana.”
In one of the photos, Cyrus is shown sideways, with most of her back, clutching what appears to be a satin sheet around her. In another, she is draped over her father’s lap, baring her belly.
While Cyrus said she was embarrassed by the photos in her statement Sunday, in her interview with the magazine that accompanies the broadcast, she called the bare-back photo “really artistic” but not “in a way skanky” and said “You can’t say no to Annie.”
The Disney Channel, after learning of the photo spread and the Vanity Fair article, also released a statement critical of the magazine.
“Unfortunately, as the article suggests, a situation has been created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old to sell magazines,” the statement said.
Vanity Fair representative Beth Kseniak defended the magazine’s use of the photos.
“Miley’s parents and/or guardians were on set all day,” she said in a statement. “Because the photo was taken digitally, they saw it on set and everyone thought it was a beautiful, natural portrait of Miley. In fact, when Bruce Handy interviewed Miley, he asked her questions. questions about the photo and she was very happy about it and I thought that was perfectly fine.”
Cyrus also apologized on Sunday for a series of personal photos that circulated the internet last week in which she b-red her belly and br@.
“The pictures of me on the internet were stupid and inappropriate. I appreciate all the support from my fans and hope they understand that along the way I will make mistakes and I’m not perfect,” she said in a statement. People.
Cyrus is known for her good-girl image. In 2007, she told USA Today that her Christian faith was “the main thing” and what kept her grounded in Hollywood. That year, she also told ABC News’ “20/20” that she faced the same pressures and temptations as less-than-healthy stars like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.
“People will say, ‘Well, you’re only 14. You don’t have the same pressures they do,'” she said. “It’s like… ‘Yes, I am.’ It’s because, you know, this life that I lead is pretty crazy. It’s just about, you know, having worth and being proud of yourself.”
This image helped propel her to the top of the entertainment industry. She came in at No. 17 on Forbes’ latest list of the 20 highest-earning stars under 25, having banked $3.5 million between June 2006 and June 2007. Earlier this month, she signed a seven-figure book deal with Disney-Hyperion Books will publish his memoir next spring.
