Nick Jonas on Miley Cyrus: 'Criticism will come with whatever you do'

'Jealous' singer Nick Jonas has opened up about his ex-girlfriend Miley Cyrus and her transition from teen Disney star to sexy pop artist, and confessed that she did it with confidence and direction.

Speaking to Britain's The Sun newspaper, the heartthrob explained that anyone who found fame young will experience the struggle of trying to change their image in the public eye, but Cyrus fully embraced who she truly is and was able to rise above the criticism:

"We haven't really stayed in touch that much. I think we just grew apart over time, started to move in different circles. Criticism will come with whatever you do. But Miley trod those waters very carefully and was very confident in who she is and what she's about."

Cyrus, meanwhile, recently told Popsugar about the ridiculous beauty standards women think they should live up to and explained that she doesn't want to follow suit any longer:

"Oh my goodness. What I'd even give to sixteen year olds today is that less is more - just chill. When you're younger you try to make yourself look older and everyone tells you that when you're older you'll regret it. I wear less make-up now at 22 than I did when I was 15 or 16 [...] I warn girls about Instagram, they're following things that aren't reality.

Watch Jonas performing live on New Year's Eve below: