Teen queen Miley Cyrus has been catching heat lately for her sexy outfits and raunchy stage antics as she promotes her new album “Can’t Be Tamer,” but the 17-year-old has a staunch defender in country legend Dolly Parton! Dolly, who played the unofficial aunt to Miley’s character on “Hannah Montana,” has a long history with the Cyrus family, since dad Billy Ray appeared in the busty singer’s video “Romeo” back when the Disney princess was a toddler.

Dolly opened up to David Letterman about Miley’s new image. “I’m there for her if she needs me, and I get upset lately, they’ve been hammering her to death, and she’s been trying hard to make the transition from Hannah Montana—she’s 17, and at that age … I know how I was at 17, so let’s leave Miley alone!” Good for her! We should all have an “aunt” like Dolly!