Jessica Simpson is receiving words of encouragement from her idol Dolly Parton in the wake of her recent weight gain.

Dolly, who collaborated with Jessica on her 2008 country album Do You Know, is defending her fellow buxom blonde, insisting she has been victimized by the media.

“I say people always treat her bad. They always talk bad about her. I just recorded a songwith her a few months ago. And I’ve never had - I’ve never been around a person any sweeter in my life. And she’s a great singer,” the “9 To 5″ star said in an interview with CNN’s Larry King on Thursday.

“And I’ve been fat and I’ve been skinny. And I’m not about to say something about somebody else’s weight because I know how hard it is when you gain, you know, five or six pounds, and certainly 10 or 12…”

She added, “But I know that Jessica is a good girl. She’s beautiful to me. And I’m sure that she’s going to get some weight off just because people won’t leave her alone.”

Dolly also defended Jessica stage antics: “I think every entertainer’s had nights when things go wrong. I mean you can’t remember everything all the time, and especially if you’re having hard times personally.”