Miley Cyrus went back to the contentious Vanity Fair picture shoot she did in 2008 that caused a media frenzy by having her pose almost nude.
The 30-year-old singer made the remarks in the most recent TikTok video in a series of reflection-themed videos for her new song, “Used To Be Young,” in which she talks about various experiences from her past.
“Everyone knows the controversy of the photo, but they don’t really know the behind-the-scenes, which is always much more meaningful,” Cyrus said in the clip as she brought up the famous nearly nude photo shot by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz on a tablet.
When Cyrus was 15 years old, the picture, which appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair in 2008, showed her baring her back to the camera as she held up a blanket to her chest. At the time, it created a commotion among Cyrus’ young fan base and their parents.
When asked about the day of the shoot, Cyrus recalled that her family had been present, and that her younger sister, Noah Cyrus, had really contributed significantly to getting the shot that allowed her to abandon her Disney Channel persona.
“My little sister Noah was sitting on Annie’s lap and actually pushing the button of the camera, taking the pictures,” she revealed. At the time, Noah was 8.
Cyrus went on to claim that artistic decisions were taken to purposely distance her from her television character and build a more mature image.
She said: “This was actually the first time I ever wore red lipstick, because Pati Dubroff, who did my makeup, thought that would be another element that would divide me from Hannah Montana.”
“This image of me is a complete opposite of the bubblegum pop star that I had been known for being,” Cyrus continued. “And that was what was so upsetting.”
“But really, really brilliant choices, looking back now, from those people,” she concluded.
Cyrus apologized to her fans after the controversy around the image.
Per Billboard, she said in a statement: “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. I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about.”
However, Cyrus withdrew her apologies on the tenth anniversary of the publication of the Vanity Fair story.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, the singer shared a photo of a New York Post cover featuring the portrait, alongside the headline, “MILEY’S SHAME,” and wrote: “IM NOT SORRY Fuck YOU #10yearsago”
Speaking on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” a few days later, Cyrus explained why she revoked her decade-old apology, stating: “There was nothing sexualized about this on set.”
She continued: “It was everyone else’s poisonous thoughts and minds that ended up turning this into something that it wasn’t meant to be. So actually I shouldn’t be ashamed — they should be.”
