Since Vanessa Hudgens nude photos hit the Web, she has transformed herself into a superstar, and nearly overnight. This leaves us wondering - was this a Vanessa driven publicity stunt?

Vanessa was already building quite a name for herself among teenagers as a co-star in the "High School Musical" franchise and as the girlfriend of Zac Efron, but she hadn't yet achieved that mainstream awareness that so many young stars crave!

Enter the nude photo, followed by several other sexy sets, hit the Web. The Web lit up like a Christmas tree with the likes not seen since Britney Spears showed her shaved kitty to the world.

Vanessa was the second most searched term last week on the Lycos 50. That sure sounds like overnight success to me!

In addition, the anticipation of additional photos remains at an all time high, and when they are released, it will surely be a hot search item everywhere.

Interestingly, just a day or so before the nudie picture of Vanessa Hudgens surface on the Web, Vizu entertainment ran a network poll asking if people thought Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron, commonly referred to as Zanessa, where a cute couple.

In that poll, Viruble reported that "42.5% of respondents said that they did not know who Zac and Vanessa were. Shortly after Vanessa's naked picture became publicly available, another public opinion poll that was fielded on Vizu's network of entertainment oriented websites. In that poll 61.7% of respondents claimed that they had heard of Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron." Things that make you say hmmm!

With that increase in popularity in just a matter of days makes it hard for Disney not to hire Vanessa Hudgens back for the movie "High School Musical 3," despite rumors that the house of mouse might want to distance itself from the tainted starlet.

Now, here's the thing ... if it was Vanessa's intent to make herself more mainstream and thereby more popular ... would it really be that outrageous to think that the starlet leaked the photos herself?

The National Ledger quotes Star Magazine as asking ... is that what she really wants? Even with a rep for the starlet telling Star that Vanessa is "devastated," a source close to Hudgens says, "There are rumors she's fine with those photos ending up on the Internet because she wants to move away from her 'goody-goody' image."

Star also claims to have tried to contact Vanessa's parents, Greg and Gina Hudgens, at their Los Angeles area home, who responded: "We've been instructed not to say anything." Makes you wonder what her parents know or don't know for that matter about these photos.

For all any of us know, with the reports of Vanessa running to Australia, because she was so embarrassed and devastated that she needed the comfort of her boyfriend Zac, may all be part of the game. After all, Zac Efron also made out well on this whole deal. Perhaps the two of them were celebrating their victory, planning their next stunt, or taking some more photos!

There is one report however, that claims that the photos of Vanessa may have been taken when she was sixteen. If that is found to be true - that's where we draw the line.

But, until that is fact ... Enjoy the Vanessa Hudgens NSFW original photo here and the sexy video montage here. And, rest assured, if there are more photos out there - we will find them and you will see them HERE!

So what's the real story? We guess we won't know until Vanessa comes clean and tells us - if she ever tells us the truth!