She’s made the decision to appear in public with girlfriends — in front of the paparazzi — because she’s comfortable with the images being published. “That’s really important to me,” she says of young fans seeing them. “As much as I want to protect myself, it’s not about hiding. As soon as you start throwing up so many walls, you cannot see over them yourself, so you just start isolating in a way that’s not honest. I definitely found where I’m comfortable. I don’t take credit for that.” She says that times have changed, and her publicist doesn’t even need to ask her how she’ll handle these questions. “Things have really shifted in this wonderful way. I’m reaping the benefits.”