'Miley's A Great Role Model'

[Brian Damage]

Miley Cyrus can rely on her friends - the Hannah Montana's co-star Alison Brie has slammed the press for constantly scrutinizing the actions of the young superstar.

Brie, who played Nina in the hit Disney show, has spoken out in defense of the teen sensation after she was heavily criticized for appearing to mock Asians in a set of leaked photos.

It isn't the first time the young actress/singer has courted controversy - she caused a media furor after posing half-naked for a risqué cover shoot for Vanity Fair last year - aged just 15.

However Brie, who now stars in TV hit Mad Men, believes people shouldn't be so hard on Cyrus - insisting any person would find it hard to be perfect under the glare of the media spotlight.

She tells Usweekly.com, "I think people are too hard on kids in the entertainment industry. It's a really tough industry to be in. If your average Joe was put under a microscope and scrutinized the way Miley Cyrus is, they'd be doing a lot worse. In general, she does great at being a great role model for kids. Everybody makes mistakes."