Hilary Duff, who knows better than most what it’s like to be in the public eye at a young age, is not passing judgment on Miley Cyrus for the risque´ photos for Vanity Fair

“Everyone goes through things and takes their own path,” Duff said Monday a press event for her new movie War Inc. “Who am I to judge decisions that she made?”

Still, Duff says she would not have chosen the same path for herself. “People are pushing you to do something, and if you want to do it, that’s your choice, you know?” added the singer-actress. “It’s not what I would choose to do, but if she did then that’s fine. That’s her choice.”

Asked how she has avoided the pitfalls of being a young star, Duff, 20, said she’s relied on a strong network. “I’ve had a lot of help from people,” she says. “It’s a joint effort with my family and everyone helping me balance my life.”

Cyrus, 15, has since expressed regret for the photo, which gives the appearance that she’s nude – although she is not. The Hannah Montana star told People, “I feel so embarrassed.”

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WENN

Not everyone is bashing Miley Cyrus for stripping down for Vanity Fair.

“I think she’s a young girl in Hollywood, and she’s just having fun,” Heidi Montag told Extra. “[She]’s exploring herself.”

Added beau Spencer Pratt, “I didn’t think it was that bad. Supposedly, she’s wearing a top underneath. It’s artistic.”

Seems he and Lauren Conrad may finally have something to agree on.

When asked about the racy pics, Conrad said, “I found it a bit silly. I thought she looked beautiful in the pictures. I didn’t find it that inappropriate.

Being young and in the spotlight “is difficult,” Conrad said. “It’s a lot of pressure on her since she is a role model, but I think she’s doing a good job.”

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Rosie O’Donnell has Miley Cyrus’ back. She’s taken to her blog to defend the Disney star after her controversial Vanity Fair photographs set off a surge of criticism.

“Leave Miley Cyrus alone,” O’Donnell says in a video posted Monday night. “Disney [is] making her apologize. Ay yi yi.”

While some have described the portraits as too risqué – and People.com readers deemed them “inappropriate” for a 15-year-old – O’Donnell finds them beautiful, she says, explaining that working with celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz can be an intimidating experience.

“Listen, Annie Leibovitz – I had two photo shoots with her,” O’Donnell says. “You kind of do what she says. It’s intimidating. I also didn’t think it was a pornographic photo in any capacity. I thought it was sort of a beautiful portrait.

And she continued: “I like the one of her and her dad, too. I don’t know. It’s Annie Leibovitz, people.”

O’Donnell has also polled her readers, asking in her “Question of the Day” feature: Do U Care About This Photo? (A majority of her readers have responded ‘no.’)

For her part, Cyrus apologized for the photographs – and Leibovitz too has said she’s sorry for any misinterpretation.

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WENN

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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ET has new details in the MILEY CYRUS photo controversy. Sources very close to her father, BILLY RAY CYRUS, say that if he had been there he would never allow a shot of his daughter seemingly topless to be taken. Our source is adamant that he would never have agreed to that set up and that he only left the photo shoot that day because he had a prior commitment.

In addition, ET has learned that he was not shown those specific shots before they were selected for publication. Miley is currently at home in Nashville working on some pre-production for the ‘Hannah Montana: The Movie.’ Meanwhile, she’s scheduled to perform at Disney Channel’s DC Games in Orlando this Saturday.

She will also appear at the Wango Tango concert May 10.

ET

Miley Cyrus issued a statement exclusively to People on Sunday, apologizing for a series of playfully provocative photos that circulated on the Internet last week, as well as those from a racy, as-yet unreleased Vanity Fair photo shoot in which she appears to be nude.

The singer, 15, tells People: “My goal in my music and my acting is always to make people happy. For Vanity Fair, I was so honored and thrilled to work with Annie [Leibovitz]. 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.”

A source close to the singer tells People that Cyrus is clothed but shown by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz in such a way that that the teen appears to be topless.

In the photos that circulated on the Internet, Cyrus, her midriff exposed, is shown draped over the lap of her then-boyfriend, her producer’s son. In another image, a hint of a green bra is evident. (Those photos alone prompted criticism from conservative TV commentator Bill O’Reilly, as well as words of support from the Jonas Brothers and a fellow Disney star.)

Cyrus goes on to say: “The pictures of me on the Internet were silly, inappropriate shots. I appreciate all the support of my fans, and hope they understand that along the way I am going to make mistakes and I am not perfect. I never intended for any of this to happen and I am truly sorry if I have disappointed anyone.

“Most of all,” she says, “I have let myself down. I will learn from my mistakes and trust my support team. My family and my faith will guide me through my life’s journey.”

Disney Channel Statement
In its own statement about the Vanity Fair story, the Disney Channel, which broadcasts Cyrus’s series Hannah Montana, said: “Unfortunately, as the article suggests, a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines.”

Describing the photo session to People, a source close to Cyrus reiterated the teen’s excitement at working with Leibovitz, and also said of the shoot: “Her parents were there all day. [Father] Billy Ray shot, too.”

Though Cyrus’s parents left before the final shot, with Miley supposed to be appearing topless, the source said: “Miley’s grandmother and her teacher were there when she shot it. Annie convinced them it was going to be artistic. Her parents are mortified. They know this is a learning moment for Miley.

“The photo suggests that she is [naked], but she is not. She is covered by a sheet, and beneath the sheet she is clothed. Originally, she was in a flesh-colored tank top but was asked to remove it.”

People’s requests to Vanity Fair for comment were not answered on Sunday. In a statement to The New York Times, Beth Kseniak, a spokeswoman for both Vanity Fair and Leibovitz, said: “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.”

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WENN

Here are the pictures from Vanity Fair:

Imagine how much outrage Miley Cyrus is sparking with this picture.

Your thoughts?