Ashlee Simpson-Wentz Goes on the Offensive in Favor of Big Sis

Jessica Simpson has added a few pounds – by now, the entire world knows it, even those al-Qaeda types living in caves in Afghanistan (or somewhere). But the tale of Simpson’s weight gain has taken on an almost mythical stature now, with everyone from Simpson’s former personal trainer to her sister to Kim Kardashian weighing in on the subject (no pun intended). Said Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, "I am completely disgusted by the headlines concerning my sister’s weight. A week after the inauguration and with such a feeling of hope in the air for our country, I find it completely embarrassing and belittling to all women to read about a woman’s weight or figure as a headline on Fox News."

For her part, Jess seems to be staying mum on the subject, though with all the celebrities – even those not related to her – chipping in their two cents on the matter, she really has plenty of spokeswomen. Said Kardashian, "Call me crazy, but when I saw the picture, I was like, ‘Oh my God, Jessica looks hot!’ I actually love the outfit. I think she looks amazing. I love high-waisted jeans, I loved that belt, and her hair looked fabulous. I get that she does look curvier, but to me, there’s nothing wrong with it."

While it is odd that the story has gained so much traction, it is a bit hard to understand the furor and the backlash. Surely Ashlee understands that she and her sister operate under a microscope, and that something as noticeable as an extra 20 or 30 pounds is going to be talked about…there’s no escaping that. And, in fairness to the media, there have been relatively few that are coming out and saying "Jess is fat." Fox, for example, noted that the elder Simpson now has a "noticeably fuller figure" and had "eased up on her fitness regimen a bit."