One of the tabloids' biggest punching bags is finally punching back. And more power to her for it.
Rather than rely on the standard and oft-ignored publicist denial for what irks her, Miley Cyrus is stepping up to the plate and setting the record straight herself, posting a 10-minute video on YouTube this week in which she tells her fans—and her haters—what's really up.
First of all, she said she took her own sweet time to respond to all the rumor-mongering because "sometimes it's best to just let the press get out all their opinions."
But now, she's ready to "get in control of what's actually said about me."
Starting with her much speculated-upon relationship with Liam Hemsworth.
"No, I'm not engaged, and no, I'm not getting married anytime soon," she said, adding that, despite reports, Liam also has not moved into her Toluca Lake pad.
"I still live at home…no one's here with us, just my family."
As for those persistent and premature marriage reports, which have unfairly plagued her since her Nick Jonas romancing days, Miley isn't mincing her words.
"First of all, I'm 17. Ridiculous…I have so much work I wanna get done, there's so much I want to do…there's just no way."
As for the newest rumor, that Miley was escorted home by police after getting caught using her cell phone while driving, well, chalk that up to another fabrication.
What really happened, Miley said, was that she pulled over and phoned the police herself after the paparazzi's erratic and scary driving caused her concern.
"I called the cops to get away from the paparazzi, and then they paparazzi'd that, so really, I just can't win."
As for those ever-present shutterbugs…whatever you do, don't mistake Miley for one of those starlets (you know who you are) who actively court them.
"I think there's some people that really like that attention, but I'm not one of them," she said.
"The paparazzi really frustrate me. It makes me really upset. I'm being followed around by men I don't know. I don't know who those guys are…they could be good guys or bad guys…doesn't seem like the safest thing."
Neither does the idea of a 17-year-old getting a boob job, which is another rumor Cyrus shot down.
"I know that things are said about me that are completely false," she explained. "I'm still the same person, I'm just living life and going through what everyone else has to go through. I'm just figuring out who I am…I'm just like y'all.
"That's probably gonna be the next quote, 'I'm just like y'all,' and they you're gonna call me a hillbilly."
Nah. We prefer "teenager standing up for herself."
Want more Miley? Check out her Fashion Spotlight!