Miley Cyrus Finally Told the Real Story Behind Her Controversial 'Vanity Fair' Cover

Back in 2008, before Miley Cyrus was "just being Miley" and still coming out from under the shadow of Hannah Montana, she posed for the cover of Vanity Fair, and to this day, the image is still one of the most talked-about moments of her career. In a new TikTok posted just last night, Miley gave her fans a behind-the-scenes take on exactly what went down that day, including a sweet memory involving her sister Noah.

In the clip, Cyrus shared that her then-8-year-old sister, Noah Cyrus, was sitting on photographer Annie Leibovitz's lap "pushing the button of the camera taking the pictures" during the shoot. While there were no explicit details about whether or not Noah took the photo that would end up being the cover, it's a cute memory for everyone involved.

Miley went on to recount all the details that went into her stepping away from Hannah, calling many of them "briliant."

"This was the first time I ever wore red lipstick because Pati Dubroff, who did my makeup, thought that that would be another element that would divide me from Hannah Montana," she added. "This image of me as a complete opposite of the bubblegum pop star that I had been known for being and that's what was so upsetting. But really, really brilliant choices looking back now from those people."

Back in 2008, she had explained to Vanity Fair that she wasn't scared or anxious going into the shoot, saying, "No, I mean I had a big blanket on. And I thought, 'This looks pretty and really natural. I think it's really artsy.'"

Naturally, the photo sparked controversy because of that blanket and Cyrus would go on to issue an apology.

"I took part in a photoshoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed," she said in a statement obtained by The Guardian at the time. "I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about."

A decade later, she had a full 180, retracting that apology via Twitter. "IM NOT SORRY Fuck YOU #10yearsago," she wrote.

She went on to explain her tweet during a chat with Jimmy Kimmel, saying that she realized that many things had shifted within her and in the world of celebrity journalism in the decade after her cover.

"A lot of things have changed, and I think the conversation has changed a lot," she said. "Something that I really thought about was, you know sure, some people thought that I did something wrong in their eyes. But I think it was really wrong of someone to put on top of someone that this is my shame and that I should be ashamed of myself."

"I think at that time I just wanted this to go away, and I think I also was trying to balance and understand what being a role model is," she finished. "And to me, I think being a role model has been my free-spiritedness and sometimes my unapologetic attitude for decisions that I feel comfortable with."