Another day, another candid-camera controversy for Miley Cyrus.
The Hannah Montana star has issued a statement about her provocative picture in the new Vanity Fair. Snapped by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, the 15-year-old Disney sensation appears to be topless, covered only in a blanket.
"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," she says. "I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about.'"
The Disney Channel is also standing up for its beloved starlet, telling E! News "a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines."
In its own statement, Vanity Fair defends the shoot.
"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," the magazine says.
"In fact, when Bruce Handy interviewed Miley, he asked her about the photo and she was very cheerful about it and thought it was perfectly fine."
But a source close to the Cyrus clan tells E! News that although her parents were indeed on set for most of the shoot, they actually left before the photograph in question was taken and never reviewed the image.
This is just the latest photo flap for Cyrus. Last week, pictures surfaced that looked like the squeaky-clean tween queen flashing her green bra and posing with her boyfriend. Pics also circulated online in January of Cyrus frolicking on a hotel floor with a female friend. She said those photos were just "two girls at a sleepover."
(Originally published April 27, 2008 at 3 p.m. PT)