The Photographer Speaks

4/28/2008 3:15 PM ET | Filed under: Media Minute • Miley Cyrus

Famed photog Annie Leibovitz says that the pictures she took of tween sensation Miley Cyrus for Vanity Fair have been 'misinterpreted'.

In a statement, Leibovitz says, "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.”

This "controversy" just isn't gonna die! (At least not until tomorrow.)

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366 comments to “The Photographer Speaks”

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Laura says – reply to this

1

Still a SLUT.
charlie says – reply to this

2

first. she sucks.
princessm says – reply to this

3

crappy! twirlin yonkies at the base
Ken says – reply to this

4

Ok so Miley was so stupid….you saw where the camera was you should have had an idea of what the shot would look like. They probably showed it to you, but when the media starts saying your gonna be a scar on the Disney channel you play the victim. What an idiot!
jgfh says – reply to this

5

i still think she is a hoe and pretty much always has been
shes fed. the next Brittney
andrea! says – reply to this

6

stupid!
ArmPitt™ says – reply to this

7

And I'm sure you'll keep it going for months!!!
FATASS!!!
aidan says – reply to this

8

Her face looks wierd in the picture.
;\
douchenozzle says – reply to this

9

I want these kind of problems for FIVE FUCKING MINUTES.
Rich people (Miley, Billy Ray, Annie L.) are living in a bubble and haven't a lcue about real life.
t says – reply to this

10

1st!
Lucia says – reply to this

11

regardless of how the photo was supposed to be "interpreted" - she is FIFTEEN and should not be in photos like this. it's wrong.
Dimase says – reply to this

12

I have young daughters and I think it's sick. It reminds me of kiddie porn.
Catboreal says – reply to this

13

Yes, it's a beautiful picture. There's no denying that.

Unfortunately, that's not the issue.

The issue is, should adults be sexualizing a 15 year old CHILD?
SHE JUST BEIN MILEY says – reply to this

14

ew so what the pic is awesome, its not bad. if you hav a prob. then dont let ur 15 yr old buy magazines or watch tv.
fhdgsh says – reply to this

15

i want to know what other young celebs like the jonas brothers and demi lavato, and Emma Roberts think of this cause they are around the same age and you dont see them doing this…i think this is really saying something about miley, shes either a complete hoe or an attention whore.
bubulubu says – reply to this

16

second
jasmine says – reply to this

17

what happened to the clean image disney had? That seems 2 b the problem here, if she's rep'ing 4 them and u r in VF u know it's not going approp.
Mel says – reply to this

18

I dont even think she looks good in the pic and I accually usually like her. Im sorry but it doesnt matter hoe "artistic" something is, a 15 year old should not insinuate nudity.
Rodion says – reply to this

19

HOTTTTTTTT I LOVE MILEY!
me says – reply to this

20

first
adriana banana says – reply to this

21

OMG… Yeah… she's going to end up messed up! …
Candice says – reply to this

22

she is still slut,she should be fired from disney
Ali says – reply to this

23

emma fogel
me says – reply to this

24

1st?
rico says – reply to this

25

Her parents just pimped her out,shame on them
please provoke me says – reply to this

26

been done before,,,,,,,,,,madona was the queen of provocation..this is boring. not outraged at all…..
Carrie says – reply to this

27

This isn't bad at all. Remember when Brooke Shields was 12 and her mother whored her out to magazines and movies, which were more revealing than this?
morgan says – reply to this

28

she looks like she is strung out!!!! she should be ashamed that pic is hideous and it is waaaayyyyy too much for a 15 year old girl to be taking nude pictures for magazines… god im am so sick of this attention whore!!!
Chase says – reply to this

29

Toplessness aside. Thats just a really horrible picture of Miley, Leibovitz was off her game. Miley is a reasonably cute girl and that pic makes her face look chubby and bloated.
ugh says – reply to this

30

This is getting soooo old.
Kyle says – reply to this

31

God, she looks like Smeagol in that photo.
She's the new Britney alright. says – reply to this

32

Yeah it's a "classic" pose of a Lolita, come hither, underaged prostitute. Wonder what Disney (or whoever she represents) will have to say about this?
Ali says – reply to this

33

I meant to write I LOVE emma fogel
and miley is a skank.
emma isn't though
kathryn says – reply to this

34

shes still an ugly skank
bitchesizhoes says – reply to this

35

Yahh-Miley´s a whore, masquerading as a virgin. And all the cuntry bumpkins in flyover land bought it. Britney II y´all.
1st
Girl Unimpressed says – reply to this

36

you americans are so jealous and uptight!
nicool says – reply to this

37

STOP CRYING YOU LITTLE CUNTS. why do you all care sooo much? shes a 15 year old girl thats almost worth a billion dollars….she can do what the fuck she wants!
Don't let this die Perez!! says – reply to this

38

Yes Annie, beautiful for an ADULT. Where are our values as a society?!?!!!
colleen says – reply to this

39

I'm more disgusted with the media for plastering it all over the place if they are so appauled by it. If she never apologized, we'd never even see it. It suddenly becomes a story because she said she's sorry.
whateva says – reply to this

40

wut whores.
KelC says – reply to this

41

She looks like that girl from The Ring.
1/2 Pint says – reply to this

42

Britt jr. in training!
Kim says – reply to this

43

Who cares if she took this picture. If her parents gave the o.k. then that is there business who are we to judge. We all know we try to put so called "sexy" pictures on our myspace pages. People forget so quickly when they were 15 yrs. old.
Sara says – reply to this

44

Am I the only person who isn't offended by seeing her spine?

However, I am offended by her hideous elfin vampire face. I can't believe anyone would look at her in that picture and think she looked good… especially good enough for the cover of a magazine.
still goin' with Barf-o-rama says – reply to this

45

I think the adults should be horrified. But they're not, they're all laughing all the way to the bank.
lalaland says – reply to this

46

hehehehe second?
jp says – reply to this

47

Any regular person possesing these kind of pictures of their daughter would be arrested for possesion of child porn.
alex says – reply to this

48

who the f*ck cares!! shes a little chipmunk faced slut who can't sing for sh*t.
Katie says – reply to this

49

Come on, she looks great… yeah shes 15… not 10!
She is a girl, and she's growing up!
They aren't slutty images, they are quite pretty I think.
There are far more scandalous events happening right now than Miley Cyrus looking well.
austin says – reply to this

50

these pictures aren't even bad.. especially the one with her and her dad.. a little wierd.. but that one especially isn't over sexy, you cant even see any of her damn chest! this picture is so harmless, fuck critics, seriously
whatev says – reply to this

51

Jesus Christ. Who cares?? There's nothing wrong with that picture.
nassor02 says – reply to this

52

She's a TART I knew it would come out sooner or later. Can't wait until she turns 18 and we see who the real Milley Sirus is.
mjn says – reply to this

53

Annie sexualized a 15 year old, she can call it art or fashion or whatever…I am by no means a prude, but at that age their hormones are raging so the last thing you want to do is to push a 15 year old into a photo shoot that implies seduction/sexuality for the whole world to see. The naked body is beautiful, but the world truly does not need to see pictures of a half naked 15 year old. If she's such a great "artist"' couldn't she have come up with some better shots that weren't slutty?
JohnnyDo says – reply to this

54

Remember: at the end of the day this is a kid. No matter how grown up she wants to play, she is a kid. It is her parents and Vanity Fairs responsibility.
LAdy says – reply to this

55

21st!
fah says – reply to this

56

shes 15 she should act her age
brad says – reply to this

57

people really need to calm down about this…calling her a slut isn't going to change anything. just because she made $18.497 million more than you last year doesn't mean you need to be a little jealous bitch about it
I dont know says – reply to this

58

what is wrong with all these girls?? can't they just act their age and not want to grow up too fast? I don't think its Vanity Fairs fault. She had the right to say no I wont take those types of pictures but she didn't.
Amberxox says – reply to this

59

ok you know what people stop calling her a slut if she was a slut dont you think there would be pictures of her with men and partying doing drugs like most of the stars out there this is obviously not a nude pic or a porno movie so all of you people need to shut the hell up and relize that even though there are many haters she probaly has more fans so she doesnt care what you say s SHUT UP!
ck says – reply to this

60

she's a foolish little girl. and i have no desire to look at her, listen to her and/or hear her apologize - when she knew full well what she was doing. fool fool fool
Amanda says – reply to this

61

i use to be a fan of her and now whats happening i just cant believe it.
stephany says – reply to this

62

i don't understand why it's such a big deal! yeah she's topless, but the only skin showing is her back? when i was 15 all girls talked about was who they were hooking up with. just because shes famous doesn't make her any different then any other teenage girl.
Richie says – reply to this

63

What's the big fuss? The picture isn't really inappropriate or anything. 0.o
Carmen says – reply to this

64

Her posing for Vanity Fair is NOT a big deal. She's still covered, so get over it. She SHOULD be apologizing for the other pictures that were leaked out on the internet, but not the magazine shots.
sadie says – reply to this

65

isnt she supposed 2 be a role model 2 all of the kids who look up 2 her?! i think shes a wh*re with NO TALENT!
Perez says – reply to this

66

Hey Perezious readers!
karly says – reply to this

67

it would be more accepted as "beautiful" I she wasn't 15 years old.
C says – reply to this

68

Annie's great
carolyn says – reply to this

69

i dont find anythgin wrong with these pictures…. first of all shes almost 16… thats liek a sophomore in high school…. and yes, she does have a younger fan base but thats in her television show. she cant stay a disney star forever and she shouldnt have to act younger then seh is just because he fan base is younger. shes fifteen… let her act fifteen and not 8. your a teenager you make mistakes. half of the dresses you see on teen starts from high school musical, hannah montana and other shows are lower cut or more revealing then these photos. if she was in a bathing suit she would be showing more skin but would people have a problem with that. I think if a picture of miley in a bathing suit showed up in a teen/tween magazine no one would have a problem with it. I think the fact that its vainty fair (an older magazine) they are seen as more provocative then if they were in a magazine fr her age group. And as they said on teh view this morning…when you are surrounded by photogs, styleists and shoot manageers and everyone is telling you it looks good, then you think it looks good. you dont question it. and even if you look on the vanity fair website…the blanket sheet doesnt evencome down that low in teh back just because of the way the photo is cropped and the way she is angled it looks worse then it is… give her a break shes 15!
Dee says – reply to this

70

Despite the fact that it is inappropriate for a 15 year old to pose with just a sheet, she doesn't even look good in the photo. My daughter LOVES Hannah Montana, and I'm sickened that she is being pimped out by a magazine, a photgrapher and evidently her own parents.
oldfart says – reply to this

71

Annie is an aging lesbian — she posed a nubile 15 year old girl in a sexual fashion — is anyone REALLY surprised?
shania says – reply to this

72

Have you seen some of the prom dresses 15 year old girls wear? Come on, she's showing less skin in that picture.
vampoira says – reply to this

73

Boy, the PSYOPS are just coming fast and furious! Keep playing America
LoliT@_HonDuRaS says – reply to this

74

WHAT A HIPOCRITE!!! Yeah, she is ashamed and embarassed by that, but she is not when she is in pictures showing her stomach, her bra (in a white tank top) and posing in provocative photos (either solo or with her bf)…PLEASE!!!
That photographer is a world-known person….very famous photographer.
Amanda says – reply to this

75

Its not appropriate for a 15 year old much less a 15 year old who is in the eyes of the entire world at this point…. Shouldnt a famous photographer know those things?
G'Lux says – reply to this

76

I always loved A.L.'s work but I agree we need to stop sexualizing our youth in this country. Everything is sex, sex, sex, sex and before you know it this girl is goign to go britney on us from too much pressure to be sexy and sexualize everything. Its really sad already to see this happening, because she is just a baby and doesn't know what feminist before her have gone through to get women to be viewed as a human, and a person instead of just a slave to the home or a sexual being….. but alas, its all bull crap anyways and there are more impotant things in the world to focus on. But shame on AL for the racy photos, its not appropriate unless we just want to continually further the view that young women are just sex objects instead of budding people.
Alexis says – reply to this

77

Annie Leibovitz has got a lot of nerve. Does she expect people (adult, informed, educated, mature people) to believe that she is aphotographer who just takes pretty pictures?
Lymari says – reply to this

78

This is just plain stupid. To me she looks like a little vampire. If she was doing a movie about vampires (or other horror stuff), would this still be a controversy?
Besides, most girls in America at 14 and up are STD infested and have already slept with a bunch of guys… So America, stop feeling shocked as if this was new…
Kirsten says – reply to this

79

I think its a cute picture. No ones perfectly innocent but shes pretty close and people shouldnt shit on her for doing this photo. Although she should have known people were going to get like this. All and all she seems like a very beautiful person and she could have done much worse.
erin says – reply to this

80

my god… who cares. woah… she's showing a little back. big deal. leave the poor girl alone!!
ericaaaaa says – reply to this

81

yessss…perish miley perishhhhh
Wake up says – reply to this

82

They're making a big deal out of this because they want to gauge how comfortable people are with sexualizing younger and younger girls. Open your EYES
MJN says – reply to this

83

Re: Amberxox – Ok, Einstein, are you really that illiterate that you can write at least 10 sentences without using punctuation or caps? I stopped reading your post after the first 20 words when I realized how ignorant you are! Maybe you should go back to school and learn how to write if you want to get valid point across.
Jackie says – reply to this

84

She's homily and needs to eat a sandwich - or two.
Tara says – reply to this

85

I think shes such a slut. i mean its all pictures with her. every month a new "Slutty" picture of her comes out. && were was her father when she dicided to take this nude pic?
UB says – reply to this

86

Annie Leibovitz was the person who took the "King Kong" picture of LeBron James and Giselle Bundchen. She knew exactly what she was doing then - and she knows what she's doing now. Looking at a picture of a woman (girl) sitting naked trying to cover herself AND with smeared lipstick, anyone with eyes knows EXACTLY what that woman (girl) was doing just minutes before that picture was taken.
KT says – reply to this

87

Shame my arse! It's publicity, straight up. Look at all the hype it has created? That's no accident.
victoria says – reply to this

88

I think she looks more wierd than sluttly or trashy. The picture looks tasteful I guess, she's just trying to change up her image or whatever.
CK says – reply to this

89

I'm really surprised by Leibovitz statement. I know what she was trying to do…make Miley look like the over-exposed vulnerable teenager that she is, but by doing this, she opened Pandora's box. Miley looks 8 yrs. old with those chipmunk cheeks and that is what pedophiles LOVE! I think it was irresponsible of Vanity Fair to put this picture in their magazine. The outrage is because she looks so young and her innocence has been thrown to the wolves!
Candy says – reply to this

90

STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!STRIPPER!
myeager says – reply to this

91

now I see why she wears so much makeup, she is pretty ugly without it, hell she is ugly with it.
rebecca says – reply to this

92

you can do "a classic portrait" with clothes on you know!

hannah slutana strikes again!
BULLSHIT says – reply to this

93

i say BULL!!!!!

photog. is obv. scared of vanity fair AND disney, cause they have the power to end her career.

annie: I thought you were smarter than that!!!
jimmyjazz says – reply to this

94

MILEY WAS A BAD LITTLE GIRL! TEE HEE……..I DON'T SEE IT AS A BIG DEAL. MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE OF THE WHOLE CLEAN CUT DISNEY IMAGE……HA HA!!!! THE SAME COMPANY THAT PRODUCED BRITNEY AND JUSTIN!!!!! WHAT ABOUT JUSTIN ROCKING THAT SPEEDO WITH THE BULGE? I'M NOT COMPLAINING!!! HEE HEE……IT'S JUST THAT I SEE A DOUBLE STANDARD. ANNIE L. SURE LIKES TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE!!!!!
MJH says – reply to this

95

Just another Britney whore bag!!
Peggy says – reply to this

96

What are her parents thinking…Oh I know $$$$$$
Another Britney in the making.
Look at the stuff this kid is putting on the internet, showing her bra and revealing clothes, but she complains about a picture she undressed for.
I have to just shake my head. I really blame the parents. She's 15 FGS, but what difference does it make what we think. She's putting herself out there for one reason $$$$ the almighty dollar. Good luck to her, she's going to need it.
luoluo says – reply to this

97

ok guys, don't freak out. she is not completely exposed. if you look at behind the scenes pictures she is wearing pants too. i will say this was not a good chioce but everyone makes mistakes and miley will have to deal with this but don't rule her out as the next britney becasue she is not that person so don't blow this out of porportion. she is a good kid and the hollywood life is hard to navigate through even without all your harsh coments. you act like you have never made a mistake. im sure a lot of you have done worse than this when you were fifteen but no one has there to show it to the whole world. she needs our support through this ordeal not your hatefull words so get our yourselves.
Nora says – reply to this

98

Ill do anything to be photographed by annie, even if I would be fifteen… even if im disneychannels little darling. and who cares… ok if she were 11 or 5, but come on. shes an adult soon…
bobbie says – reply to this

99

i dont get it they 'the press' want her "not" to be like slutty lohan and whore hilton but they splash her face on every cover they can…..if she has already aplogized, tell the story but post another picture…..where is the suppor…this explains why our country's future is sure to end up in the shits
Sammy says – reply to this

100

I don't know. It's a nice photo. Was it a smart move on her part, I would have to say no, but is it worthy of all the criticism? I don't think so.

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