Vanessa Hudgens, everyone’s favorite faux-Latina jailbait, is talking openly about her nude picture “scandal” in February’s issue of Seventeen:

How are you feeling about the [nude picture] scandal?

“I’m much better now. 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. 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.”

To be fair, who hasn’t sent their boyfriend a picture of themselves naked? Covered in marshmallow fluff?

Who told you the photos had been leaked?

“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.”

Crazy like a beaver fox!

How did you explain the situation to your 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. 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’re not as safe as you think you are, and you have to be aware of the people you’re around.”

Aw. She actually seems pretty sweet. Our mom would have reported us to ICE.

It’s great that Zac [Efron, her boyfriend] stood by you through all this. To you, what’s the best thing about him?

“He always makes me happy. He literally knows exactly what to do to make me laugh.”

He’s totally funny! Like the way he pretends to be all into the fact that you have a vulva. Hahahaha. Oh, Zac!

Vanessa Hudgens on February 2008 Seventeen Magazine [TV Crunch]
Earlier: Guanabee’s Coverage Of Vanessa Hudgens