Leibovitz: 'Cyrus photo was innocent'

Celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz has defended her infamous Vanity Fair shot of Miley Cyrus.

Leibovitz claimed that the picture was "innocent", despite showing the 15-year-old wrapped in a blanket revealing her bare neck and chest.

"The Miley picture was a beautiful, strong, simple picture," she told the New York Post.

"I think it's actually sort of innocent on some level. She loved taking that picture, and she was ready to take that picture. It's just that her audience wasn't ready."

Both Leibovitz and Cyrus apologised following widespread criticism of the image.