"I wasn't there at the time," the 46-year-old country star said in an interview on NBC's Today show.
"[Miley's] publicist was there, and everyone seemed in control," he said. "I didn't know they [were] gonna strip her down and wrap her with a blanket."
"So I was surprised when I saw it, you know, but ... stuff happens. That's life. Things happen and sometimes things get a little out of control and you just gotta deal with life," he said. "Again, it's peaks and valleys and ups and downs."
Cyrus, who co-stars with Miley in Disney Channel's Hannah Montana, said Leibovitz was a "good person and a great photographer" but looking back, he would have stayed to chaperone the photo shoot.
Another photo in the Vanity Fair spread that caused a stir was the image of Miley in a black tank top that revealed her midriff as Cyrus held her in his arms.
When asked if that photo was a mistake, Cyrus said: "It's not a mistake to me. If it is to someone else, I'm sorry if I offended somebody, but no, that's just a daddy that loves his daughter a whole lot."
Cyrus said he and Miley "got caught up in this adventure that we've gone through with this dream, and what we do for a living. ... We both love acting, we love making music and we love each other. I'm her dad and she's my daughter, so if a daddy hasn't hugged his daughter recently, I'd recommend he does."
