Rarely do I defend Jessica Simpson, but the controversy over her weight gain is way out of proportion. And though I never thought I’d use the word “classy” to describe her, that’s exactly what she’s been. Simpson would have been perfectly in line if she’d yelled and screamed and railed at the press for making such a big deal about what I’m guessing is maybe 10 pounds. But instead she kept quiet and just went about her business.

Last night Jessica performed for the first time since the supposed “fat” photos were leaked. While she didn’t address them directly, she talked about staying positive and reminding yourself there’s bigger issues out there.

Jessica Simpson made no mention of her controversial new curves at a concert Thursday night in Virginia, but she thanked fans for standing by her.

Clad in black leather pants, a hip-length black blazer and silver go-go heels, Simpson, 28, hit the stage promptly at 8:01 p.m. and performed a 40-minute set, opening with “These Boots” before introducing the tune, “Still Beautiful.”

“This song is off my new record… and it’s about finding the beauty in life, no matter what happens,” she told the audience at the University of Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena, where she performed with Rascal Flatts. Simpson later added, “Always remember that someone out there has it worse than you.”

And prior to singing “Pray Out Loud,” she told the audience, “I feel like in our world, we focus on so many things that are unimportant. And I really just wanted to say this.”

Throughout the show, Simpson — who struggled all night with her ear piece — was upbeat. Before leaving the stage, Simpson told fans, “Stay positive, pray out loud, give it up for my band … I love you guys. Good night!”

[From Us Weekly]

Jessica normally talks about passing gas and her love life during her concert chit chat, so what she said was a step up no matter what. But she certainly could have used last night as an opportunity to respond to the haters, but instead she took the high road. Jessica may be a lot of things – not all of them necessarily good – but she’s always struck me as a fundamentally nice person.

Most of us go through times when we put on some weight, for whatever reason. My body likes to add an unnecessary 7 pounds every winter, apparently thinking I’m part bear. It always goes away early in the spring once I’m out and about more. Jessica may very well be the same.

And while her outfit didn’t help any, I think the biggest issue was the unflattering camera angle while she was performing. No one looks good when shot from below. I’m not saying the camera was solely responsible, but it definitely didn’t help. I don’t know how celebrities manage to deal with so much body criticism, but publicly Jessica has handled it with grace.

Here’s Jessica Simpson performing at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia last night. Images thanks to Splash.