Miley Cyrus reflects on her 2008 Vanity Fair cover controversy

By Marianne Garvey, CNN

(CNN) — Miley Cyrus is reflecting on the backlash she received for a 2008 Vanity Fair cover in which she was photographed draped in a sheet.

On a recent episode of her “Used To Be Young” series on TikTok, Cyrus shared her memories of the photoshoot, which took place when she was 15.

“Everybody knows the controversy of the photo, but they don’t really know the behind-the-scenes, which is always much more meaningful,” she said.

Famed photographer Annie Leibovitz captured the images, which also included photos of Cyrus with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus.

“My little sister Noah [Cyrus] was sitting on Annie’s lap and actually pushing the button of the camera taking the pictures,” Cyrus said. “My family was on set and this was the first time I ever wore red lipstick.”

Following controversy over the images, both Leibovitz and Cyrus issued statements.

“I’m sorry that my portrait of Miley has been misinterpreted,” Leibovitz said at the time. “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.”

“I am truly sorry if I have disappointed anyone,” Cyrus said in 2008.

Reflecting now, Cyrus appreciates how the photo helped her begin to differentiate her growing music ambitions from her Disney Channel “Hannah Montana” persona.

“This image of me is a complete opposite of the bubble gum pop star that I had been known for being,” she said of the magazine cover. “But, really, really brilliant choices looking back now from those people.”

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