Miley Cyrus: I told Bieber to take a breather

Miley Cyrus told Justin Bieber to "take a bit of time out" from the spotlight for a while.

Justin, 19, has been embroiled in controversy for several months and has most recently been accused of spitting in a DJ's face at a nightclub.

Miley, 20, has also had her fair share of media attention lately. Her new risqué music video for single We Can't Stop sparked controversy with critics and as it is rumoured her engagement to Hunger Games actor Liam Hemsworth has been called off.

Miley feels for her pal Justin's plight and reached out to him to offer support.

"I told Justin to take a bit of time out and people aren't so obsessed with you and nit-pick," she told British newspaper the Sunday People.

"When you're not around, all they want is your music. They want to see what the next thing is. But when your music is out they just want to talk s**t about you.

"When you're a worldwide star, everyone sees everything. Lots of people make a video and put it on Instagram, some people might think it's funny but because it's Justin Bieber, it's like really bad."

Although Miley has compassion for Justin, she still doesn't agree with some of the decisions he made in the past.

The star isn't convinced Justin will duck out of the limelight anytime soon.

"I always tell him just to be cool and not talk about it because when you talk it fuels the fire," she explained.

"He's still stupid though. But everyone does dumb stuff when they are messed up."

The friends were rumoured to be seeing each other earlier this summer.

It is said that after splitting with Selena Gomez for good Justin is starving for Miley's attention.

"There is sexual tension. Justin would do anything to hook up with Miley," a source told America's OK! magazine.