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 photo shoot 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." SPORTS EMMY AWARDS
HBO, Fox and ESPN cleaned up at the 29th annual Sports Emmy Awards, with Fox Sports taking the coveted live sports special nod for the Fiesta Bowl and live sports series for "NASCAR on Fox."
HBO won eight awards, including two for "Ghosts of Flatbush" and "Mayweather/Hatton 24/7." "NASCAR on Fox" won two of Fox's five awards. ESPN won four awards, ESPN.com won three, and ESPN2 and ABC Sports each took home one.
Three of the top talent awards went to NBC: Al Michaels for play-by-play and his partner, John Madden, for analyst on NBC's "Sunday Night Football." Cris Collinsworth, who works for NBC and HBO, won again this year as studio analyst. One of CBS' three awards was given to James Brown for his job as studio host of "The NFL Today."
TNT won three Sports Emmys for its NBA coverage, while the NFL Network won two. Also honored with one Sports Emmy each were FSN, Golf Channel, NASCAR Images and TBS for the first year of Turner's Major League Baseball postseason coverage.
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Brazilian Fernando Meirelles' "Blindness" and Barry Levinson's "What Just Happened?" will bookend the 61st Cannes Film Festival, the fest org announced Tuesday.
Adding more Yank heft to the Competition, Cannes has added James Gray's "Two Lovers," while Brit director Steve McQueen's "Hunger" will open Un Certain Regard.
Opening Cannes on May 14, and playing in Competition, "Blindness" stars Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Danny Glover and Gael Garcia Bernal in a thriller about a city succumbing to an epidemic of blindness.
Miramax took U.S. domestic rights to "Blindness" in September; Focus handles international.
Cannes' Official Selection lineup was unveiled by delegate general Thierry Fremaux on April 23 in Paris.
Another title, Barry Levinson's Hollywood satire "What Just Happened?," has been officially selected to close Cannes on May 25, when its star, Robert De Niro, will present this year's Palme d'Or.
Co-starring Bruce Willis, Robin Wright Penn and John Turturro, pic could bring more star wattage to the Croisette, as should Gray's "Two Lovers." That romantic drama toplines Joaquin Phoenix as an aspiring photographer and Gwyneth Paltrow as the attractive girl next door.
"Lovers," sold by Wild Bunch and 2929, was produced by Wild Bunch, which also takes a production credit with Tribeca/Linson Films on "What Just Happened?"
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