Ashlee and Jessica Simpson have been on a sort of roller coaster ride in 2009. Ashlee’s acting drew heavy criticism when she appeared in 12 episodes of nighttime soap Melrose Place. Jessica’s weight was constantly scrutinized, and she went through a painful breakup with Tony Romo. Then her beloved dog disappeared. It just wasn’t Jessica’s year. Of the two, Ashlee probably came through 2009 less scarred by celebrity, but in the world of celebrity gossip, all that can change in an instant.

But through it all, Ashlee and Jessica have been able to count on each other, as Ashlee recently told People magazine.

Ashlee, who appears on the December cover of Women’s Health, defended her sister against judgmental people, saying, “My sister has an incredible body. I feel sorry for anyone who would judge her, because she’s one sexy lady.” She also referred to the people who act as the weight police as “disgusting.”

Earlier this year, Jessica defended Ashlee against those who criticized her acting ability in Melrose Place, saying that the scripts she was given were “crap.”

Ashlee, in addition to being a wife and mother, is set to star as Roxy in Chicago this December. It will be her Broadway debut.