Jessica Simpson has refused to discuss the big furore over her weight gain in a new interview.

As this month's unlikely Vanity Fair cover girl, the curvy singer chats to the magazine about her failed marriage to Nick Lachey, her relationship with current beau Tony Romo and her faith – but makes it clear that she won't address more 'weightier' issues.

She does, however, offer this about “media criticism” in general: “When it comes to media criticism, that’s just something I have had to train myself—literally train myself—to ignore...

"I mean, the way people make it sound, I should have never been singing in the first place... It comes with what I do, and I know that every day the media’s going to challenge me, is going to want to bring me down.

Quote break: Jessica's airbrushtastic VF cover

"But I feel like I’m at such a place that I own myself, and it’s authentic. I own that authentic part of myself, and none of those words are harsh enough to make me believe them... I can’t imagine saying some of the things people have said about me about anybody else.”

Sorry, what?