If you missed the internet sensation earlier this year, I’d suggest Googling the naked Vanessa Hudgens pics, because they really are a landmark piece of High School Musical pop culture.

Hyperbole? Yes.

Nevertheless, when naked pictures of Vanessa Hudgens leaked online, the 18-year-old star saw her contract with Disney come under fire. The Mouse stood behind her and asked the High School Musical cast to come back for a full-length feature to be released in theaters.

Now, Vanessa has taken to Seventeen Magazine to comment about the scandal for the first time.

The cover of the newest Seventeen

“I’m much better now,” she tells Seventeen, “But truthfully I don’t like talking about it. It was something that was meant to be private, and even though it isn’t anymore, I’d still like to keep it as private as I can.”

Looking back on the whole experience now, she says, “It was very traumatic, and I am extremely upset it happened. I hope all my fans can learn from my mistake and make smart decisions. But I wouldn’t have been able to get through it if it wasn’t for my family, friends and fans, who supported me all along the way.”

On how she found out: “I found out from my manager. We heard some story was going to break in the tabloids, and I was like, What?!? A few days later, the picture came out while I Was on vacation in Australia. Thank God, I wasn’t home – it would have sucked if I was at home. So I got to be away from L.A. for about a millisecond. But when I came back, it got kind of crazy.”

On telling her mom: “I was just open with her, and she was just so cute. She was like, ‘Well, everyone can be naked if they want to.’ [Laughs] My parents are very supportive of me. And they know I’m a teenager, and yes, kids do stupid things sometimes.”

On the Internets: “It’s very unfortunate because with the Internet these days, you don’t have a personal life. Nothing is private: Everyone knows everything, and they can find out everything about you… you have to be aware of the people you’re around.”
Regardless of how she acts, Vanessa was introduced to a whole internet of adult male fans. She had to have cashed in on the photos a bit, even if she didn’t want to.

Our solution? More naked celebrities.