SubscribeBilly Ray Cyrus compares Miley Cyrus' topless controversy to a 'stomp in poop.'
Talking publicly about his daughter Miley Cyrus' Vanity Fair photo shoot for the first time, country music star Billy Ray Cyrus said he wasn’t there when the most controversial shot was taken.
"I didn't know they were gonna strip her down and wrap her in a blanket," Cyrus told Meredith Vieira on "Today" Tuesday in New York, referring to the shot of his 15-year-old daughter taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz. In the photo, the "Hannah Montana" star appeared to be topless, covered only by a sheet she clutched to her chest. Watch the video HERE. (Comments about Miley appear about three minutes in.)
Though Cyrus doesn't approve of the photograph, which Leibovitz defended as "a simple, classic portrait, shot with very little makeup," he said that heeded his dad's advice on the situation.
"My dad always told me the more you stomp in poop, the more it stinks," Billy Ray said. "So I was just, 'OK, this happened. We got to deal with it.' "
And what about that other photo of Miley in Billy Ray's lap, which also raised more than a few eyebrows?
"That's just a daddy who loves his daughter a whole lot," Billy Ray explained, laughing off the question about the pose that Vieira thought made them look like more like girlfriend and boyfriend.
Aw, shucks.
What do you think? Did Billy Ray shirk his parental responsibilities by not monitoring the VF photo shoot more closely?
Photo: Miley Cyrus and daddy Billy Ray Cyrus at a press interview in April 2008.
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i think evevryone should get over it already! i actally liked the pics she looked ok!
Posted by: niamh daniels | June 17, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Leave them alone. Billy Ray And Miley are not evil and have been taken advantage of.
Posted by: barbara smith | June 17, 2008 at 12:28 PM
people in the regular world do worse things!!! just because she's a celeb doesn't mean she's like a perfect person and doesn't make mistakes.
Posted by: valerie mcsmit | June 17, 2008 at 01:03 PM
hey! miley looks like she is 20 when shes only 15, yeah she made a bad chioce but we all learn from our mistakes, i dont think she will ever do it again
Posted by: Mileys#1fan | June 17, 2008 at 01:36 PM
GIve her a break she is 15 and pressure is getting to her. she and her father were taken advantage of besides we learned from our mistakes so she just learned and i dont think it will EVER happen a gain
Posted by: Audrey | June 17, 2008 at 02:58 PM
why did you strip you have a lot of fans!!!!!!!!!! why???????/???
Posted by: jewels | June 17, 2008 at 03:40 PM
I think Miley is pretty normal and her parents have done a fine job raising her. Let's all just clean up our own backyards before we go pointing fingers at others.
Posted by: Don | June 17, 2008 at 04:11 PM
Gimme a break, this was less risque than your average high school lunch line.
Posted by: KatiesDad | June 17, 2008 at 04:15 PM
i know what miley did wasnt as bad as what regular people do, but that still dosent give her an excuse .my 2 little girls look up to miley and if she wants to be a good star she need to watch out on what she does.being a children star means you need to be a good roll model.she is 16 years old she a bit young to be taking pictures like that.
Posted by: janette | June 17, 2008 at 07:35 PM
I THINK THIS IS VERY WRONG! SHE IS 15 AND THIS IS WHY WE HAVE MEN TALKING TO MINORS ON THE INTERNET ETC. SHE IS A CHILD BEING SEXUALIZED. THIS SHOULD NOT BE BLOWN OFF. HELLO WAKE UP AMERICA!
Posted by: Jay | June 17, 2008 at 07:54 PM
Please people live Miley a LONE. Let her get on with her life. We all did stuff that at the time seem right, but was not right. (like how many times you clime the water tower) Miley is my real good friend.
Posted by: James Heater | June 17, 2008 at 08:26 PM
Shes ONLY 15 cut her some slack i mean really and besides dont you think shes doing better than some other girls who are celebs !!! well i do and dont think that just because she was sitting on her dads lap that its something unusual!!!! Oh and those pictures mean nothing, and if you people were smart you would know that the bad person wasnt miley, it was the photographer for stripping her down when shes only 15!!!!
Posted by: bananas | June 17, 2008 at 08:26 PM
Have two url.So i please post twice. Miley and Billy Ray are more friends to me then my friends i see each day. PLEASE people live them alone, let get back on track. A fan is one for life.
Posted by: James Heater | June 17, 2008 at 08:30 PM
Miley is opened to do anthing she wants to do! Just because shes a celebrity doesnt mean she cant act her age! She can do whatever she wants to! She was alot younger when she worked on Hannah Montana and if a little boy or girl look up to her, then they have to handle the consequences! Miley rocks, and she can do whatever she wants. Its her life! Miley's amazing and she always will be!
Posted by: no name | June 18, 2008 at 06:59 AM
wow, i love the tv series hannah montana . mileys a great person if she think its artistic then so do i. i didnt see the pics as such a bad thing it is artistic especialliy for a 15 year old girl like miley or me. it was her dissicion and no one eleses bussiness . they could talk and talk and i dont think miley would care. NOTE TO MILEY CYRUS I LOVED THE PIC. YOUR # 1 FAN ROSA
Posted by: ROSA | June 18, 2008 at 07:40 AM
Miles and Bill are honeymooners. They are still on their honeymoon and are experiencing the exciting part of being sexual. I like to see her on OUI, HUSTLER, etc.
Posted by: Chris | June 18, 2008 at 08:15 AM
that is so wrong miley...how can you do that ?
u r not the person i thought u were
Posted by: brayan | June 18, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Billy ray is a one hit wonder , media whore with a massive ego,,cant stand his daughter is more popular (and wealthy) than him yet he loves to exploit her at any cost..
Posted by: leftykc | June 18, 2008 at 12:17 PM
I HATE MILEY CYRUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHE SUCKS AND IS THE WORST SINGER AND ACTRESS OF THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SHE DESERVED TO HAVE THIS BAD ATTENTION AND TO BE STRIPPED DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Leftiehander | June 18, 2008 at 01:23 PM
i dont like you
your a spoiled brat and you take famous for granted!
you show off stuff that your not supposed to on the internet and you "APOLOGIZE" for doing that but then you do it all over again.
your just phoney
and a bad influence for the little kids
Posted by: whitney | June 18, 2008 at 06:14 PM
I honeslty dont think you
peple have seen Mileys other
pictures of her with her
boyfriend!
Shes doing half naked
pictuers, pictures where she is pulling down her shirt so
you can see her bra!
Do you really want this girl are you kids role model!
I do not. I am completly
against the fact that Disney
is still playing Hannah Montana on t.v.
Posted by: Chicken | June 18, 2008 at 07:31 PM
Everyone needs to backoff Miley Cyrus your not in her shoes you dont understand! These people where the biggest photogaphers in the world! it was the last things she needed to being sucsusful! I still look up to her! Im 10 years old and sick of hearing all ths crap! leave her alone gosh! she cant even take a photo without it being on the 5 o,clock news! I can go on myspace and find pictures of 13 year olds takeing pictures bader than that so everyone needs to shut up really!
Posted by: Danielle | June 18, 2008 at 09:26 PM
Get a life o_O I'm 11 and I don't mind her doing this. All the aldults don't know how much children KNOW about sex, stripping, etc. Now, my opinion on this is simple, the photo was nothing. The photo was very artistic! I agree with the defence for it :) She is NOT a slut, whore, WHATEVER you want to call it. =) I don't exactly listen to her music, but I have a soft spot for Miley. . . though if Ashley Tisdale had did this. . . what would you all be saying? (: This about other celebrities in the same situation.
Posted by: Dana | June 19, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Oh please, leave her alone. Everybody is making a big deal about this because she's famous. She's only 15, and she's bound to make mistakes, but of course when you made a mistake at her age, it was just a little thing, but because she's a star, everybody finds this sooo bad, seriously, when I was younger I looked up to Brittney Spears, look at her now, and you don't get after her for being such a huge bad influence
Posted by: Ellie | June 19, 2008 at 04:13 PM
I love miley as my idol .
its not like she was naked.
you should only worry if disney fires her!
I love miley !
Posted by: Kelci | June 19, 2008 at 07:08 PM