Jessica Simpson: Ready to Take the Stage

Getting ready to take the stage, Jessica Simpson was spotted leaving her hotel in Charlottesville, Virginia on Thursday afternoon (January 29).

Bundled up in a heavy jacket, the “Dukes of Hazzard” damsel was headed over to the University of Virginia, where she’s all set to open up for Rascal Flatts tonight.

Meanwhile, earlier today, People magazine editor Galina Espinoza and plus-size model Emme chatted with Natalie Morales on the Today Show about the mocking received by Miss Simpson for her "weighty" pictures from a Chili Cook-Off this past weekend.

“Jessica Simpson is becoming part of this trend we call body-bullying,” Espinoza told Morales. “People are cruelly mocking her, making her feel like there is something wrong with her just because she has a slightly fuller figure. It’s something that’s going on increasingly in Hollywood.”

Picking up where Espinoza left off, Emme tells, “It really is damaging to a lot of women. They’re going to look at this beautiful, gorgeous image and with all the jokes that are surrounding her, they look at themselves and say, ‘Well, if she is getting all this grief, what’s going on with me?’ ”