Miley Cyrus 'embarrassed' by racy photos

Teen sensation Miley Cyrus has apologized for the provocative photos that emerged of her recently as well as those from a racy, as-yet un-published Vanity Fair photo shoot in which she appears to be nude.

The 15-year-old Hannah Montana said in a statement, "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."

Sources close to the singer-actress say that Miley is clothed but shown by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz in such a way that the teen appears to be topless.

In one of the photos, Cyrus is shown from the side, with most of her back bare, clutching what appears to be a satin sheet loosely around herself.

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."

The Disney Channel, after learning of the Vanity Fair photo spread and article also issued a statement critical of the magazine. "Unfortunately, as the article suggests, a situation was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines."