The "Pitt" hit the fan, so to speak, over "it girl" Sienna Miller's derogatory references to Pittsburgh in yesterday's edition of Rolling Stone magazine, but Mayor Luke Ravenstahl says it's all water under the bridge.
Miss Miller told a Rolling Stone reporter she was bored during her stay in Pittsburgh, where she's shooting a film adaptation of Michael Chabon's "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh," and illustrated that point with a word that starts with "sh" and rhymes with "Pittsburgh."
In a public apology yesterday on a Penn Avenue set in the Strip District, the 24-year-old actress smiled broadly, buddied up to the mayor and ate crow with a slight British accent and a hint of a giggle.
"I really didn't mean anything," she said. "I've had a great time here. My dad's in town and we're looking forward to having a good time."
With a grin, Mr. Ravenstahl proclaimed, "She is forgiven."
He didn't press the star on how her mispronunciation of the city's name could have appeared in a national publication.
Through a publicist, Miss Miller issued a more thorough explanation and insisted her remarks in Rolling Stone were misinterpreted.
"I want to apologize for my comments, which seem to have been misconstrued and taken out of context," she said, in a written statement. "I was referring to the fact that we are shooting almost all night shoots on this film and none of us have had an opportunity to fully explore the city. What I have seen of it is beautiful.
"I came once before to visit the Andy Warhol Museum whilst researching a film and found both the city and its inhabitants warm and gracious. My father is from Meadville and is in town to show me 'round this weekend. I sincerely apologize and hope people realize that conversations can be easily manipulated in print."
A spokeswoman from Rolling Stone said the magazine stands behind its story.
Miss Miller was born in the United States in 1981 to banker Ed Miller and actor Jo Miller, who ran London's Lee Strasberg Drama School.
She was raised and educated in England.
Although she's drawn critical approval in films including "Layer Cake," "Casanova" and "Alphie," she's perhaps best known among tabloid readers for her on-again-off-again romance with actor Jude Law, who last year offered a public apology of his own for having an affair with his young nanny, Daisy Wright.
Stylish and cosmopolitan, Miss Miller has been ranked among the world's most desirable women by Maxim magazine and the Web site AskMen.com.
Her disparaging mention of Pittsburgh was fodder for defensive commentary on local radio talk shows and TV newscasts, and generated dozens of letters to the editor -- mostly opposed to her comments -- in the Post-Gazette.
First Published: October 7, 2006, 4:00 a.m.
