Near naked photos of 15-year-old pop star Miley Cyrus have sent Disney into lockdown mode.
The pubic company is in damage control after Vanity Fair published photos of the near-topless teenage star wrapped in a blanket.Mileygate is turning into one giant finger pointing exercise.
Cyrus, the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, is the face of the Disney 'High School Musical' franchise. Billy Ray was at the photo-shoot and approved the photos.
Famed photographer Annie Liebovitz took the photos.
However, critics have panned the decision as a cheap publicity stunt, typical of exploiting a child stars transition to adulthood.
Disney President Gary Marsh told Portfolio magazine "for Miley Cyrus to be a good girl is now a business decision for her. Parents have invested in her godliness. If she violates that trust, she wouldn't get it back".
Disney has had a series of embarrassing child star situations in recent months. The Jamie Lynne Spears pregnancy was an equal embarrassment for the network as she was the host of a Disney TV show.
Miley has since issued a statement to say that she feels "so embarrassed" by the photos.
Disney points the finger at the magazine for "deliberately manipulating a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines".
