Celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz has leapt to the defense of Miley Cyrus, insisting the controversial Vanity Fair photographs she took of the 15-year-old are “simple” and “beautiful”.

One of Leibovitz’s photos of the pop sensation, wearing just a blanket wrapped around her bare back and chest has incited media outrage, prompting an “embarrassed” Cyrus to issue an apology, claiming that she was manipulated into posing for the pictures. But the renowned photographer is defending her work, insisting the full concept of the photoshoot was discussed with the star and her minders prior to the release of the provocative images.

In a statement released on Monday, Leibovitz says, “I’m sorry that my portrait of Miley (Cyrus) has been misinterpreted. 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.”

Leibovitz’s statement follows Vanity Fair’s defense of the shoot, after its images were condemned by the star’s Disney Channel bosses, who accused the publication of creating a situation “to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines”.

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