Hilary Duff Takes Heat For Cigarette in Pic

Hilary Duff is a non-smoker, despite what a recent photo implies.

The Lizzie McGuire actress was photographed holding a cigarette outside of the Rock and Reilly's Irish Pub in L.A., sending her Twitter followers into a tizzy.

"Yikes! Me holding a cigarette for my friend might have been a bad idea! Pretty bummed about the photo," said Duff, who gave birth to son Luca March 20.

"Sorry guys. It looks worse than it is!"

Duff's debunking the image seemed to smooth things over with her fan base, as several supporters began tweeting messages of support almost instantly.

"I knew that wasn't yours," one fan of the Duffester wrote. "You're feeding your baby, [and] even if you smoke, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't do it now."

Echoed another: "You're still perfect!"

Duff, 24, has been open about breastfeeding her little boy since his arrival, which likely contributed to most of the backlash over the smoking pic.

[Photo: FameFlynet]