Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969),[4] also known by her nicknameJ.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking barriers forLatino Americans inHollywood and helping propel theLatin pop movement in music. She is also known for hercultural impact through fashion,branding, and shiftingmainstream beauty standards.
Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born on July 24, 1969, inthe Bronx, one of theboroughs of New York City, and raised in itsCastle Hill neighborhood.[5][6][7] Her parents, Guadalupe Rodríguez and David Lopez, were born inPuerto Rico and met in New York City.[8][9] After serving in the Army, David worked as a computer technician atGuardian Insurance Company.[10] Guadalupe was a homemaker for the first ten years of Lopez's life, later working as aTupperware salesperson[11] and a kindergarten and gym teacher.[12] They divorced in the 1990s after 33 years of marriage.[11]
Lopez is a middle child; she has an older sister, Leslie, and a younger sister,Lynda.[13] The three shared a bed.[14][15] Lopez has described her upbringing as "strict".[16] She was raised in aCatholic family; she attendedMass every Sunday and received aCatholic education, attending Holy Family School and the all-girlsPreston High School, aprivate school.[17] In school, Lopezran track on a national level, participated in gymnastics, and was on the softball team.[18] She danced in school musicals and played a lead role in a production ofGodspell.[19] She described herself as a "tomboy" and "very athletic".[20]
There was "lots of music" in the typically Puerto Rican household,[21] and Lopez and her sisters were encouraged to sing, dance, and create their own plays for family events.[22][23]West Side Story made a particular impression on the young Lopez, who wanted to be an entertainer from an early age.[17] As a teenager, Lopez became "obsessive" about dance, stating that "I practiced until my legs and feet ached".[24] She learned flamenco, jazz, and ballet at theKips Bay Boys & Girls Club[17] and taught dance to younger students, includingKerry Washington.[25] After graduating from high school, she had a part-time secretarial job at a law firm and studied business at New York'sBaruch College for one semester.[26][27] At age 18, she enrolled as a full-time student at Manhattan's Phil Black Dance Studio, where she had already taken night classes in jazz and tap dance.[16][15][17] Her parents were unhappy with her decision to leave college to pursue a dance career. According to Lopez, her parents felt it was "foolish" because "no Latinas did that".[19] Her mother asked her to move out of the family home, and they stopped speaking for eight months.[22][28] Lopez moved to Manhattan, sleeping in the dance studio's office for the first few months.[16][15][17]
Career
1989–1996: Professional dancing and early acting roles
Lopez's first professional job came in 1989 when she spent five months touring Europe with the musical revue showGolden Musicals of Broadway. She was upset at being the only member of thechorus not to have a solo, and later characterized it as a pivotal moment where she had to "try harder and become that much more committed".[29][30] In 1990, she danced alongsideMC Hammer in an episode ofYo! MTV Raps,[31] and traveled around Japan for four months as a chorus member inSynchronicity.[17] When she returned to the United States, she was hired as a backup dancer forNew Kids on the Block's performance of "Games" at the1991 American Music Awards.[32] She also traveled around America with regional productions of the musicalsJesus Christ Superstar andOklahoma!.[33] During this period, Lopez also danced in music videos includingDoug E. Fresh's "Summertime", Richard Rogers' "Can't Stop Loving You",EPMD's "Rampage",[34] andSamantha Fox's "(Hurt Me! Hurt Me!) But the Pants Stay On".[35] Lopez stated: "I'd dance in a piece-of-garbage rap or pop video for 50 bucks and make the money last a whole month."[36]
Her most high-profile job as a professional dancer was as aFly Girljazz-funk dancer on the sketch comedy television seriesIn Living Color. The show's choreographer,Rosie Perez said she chose Lopez because "she had that look that I knew the audience would tune in to".[37] Lopez moved to Los Angeles in late 1991 for the job; she filmedIn Living Color during the day and attended acting classes taught by Aaron Speiser at night.[17] Lopez felt ostracized by the other Fly Girls because of her "voluptuous figure", and also clashed with Perez.[37] The head ofVirgin Records considered signing The Fly Girls as a girl group to rival theSpice Girls, but the deal fell apart.[30] After appearing as a Fly Girl in seasons three and four ofIn Living Color, Lopez left to work as a backup dancer forJanet Jackson, and appeared in the music video for "That's the Way Love Goes".[30] She was scheduled to tour with Jackson on herJanet World Tour in late 1993 but opted to pursue an acting career instead.[38] Music industry executives expressed interest in giving Lopez a record deal, but she chose to focus on acting.[39] She hiredIn Living Color producer Eric Gold as her manager. He advised Lopez to lose weight if she wanted to succeed as an actress.[40]
Lopez's first professional acting job was a small recurring role on the television showSouth Central (1994). She was invited to audition for the pilot by a casting director who had seen her speak to camera during a behind-the-scenesIn Living Color segment.[17] She then acquired an agent and was cast in theCBS showSecond Chances; the series was quickly cancelled, but her popularity with viewers led to her being cast in its spin-offHotel Malibu.[41] She subsequently appeared in the television filmLost in the Wild (1993).[42] For her first major movie role, inGregory Nava's 1995 dramaMi Familia, Lopez received a nomination for theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress.[43] She then starred in the action comedyMoney Train (1995). The film was not a box office success, though her performance was reviewed positively,[44] which led to her being further noticed in Hollywood.[45] In 1996, Lopez had a supporting role oppositeRobin Williams in the comedyJack, which directorFrancis Ford Coppola cast her in after seeing her performance inMi Familia.[44] She next starred oppositeJack Nicholson as a "calculating Cuban maid" in the neo-noir thrillerBlood and Wine (1996),[39] where David Rooney ofVariety felt she delivered in "juggling" the "smoldering and soulful sides" of the character.[46]
1997–1999: Breakthrough withSelena andOn the 6
With her casting as the singerSelena Quintanilla-Pérez in the biopicSelena (1997), Lopez became the first Latina actress to earn $1 million. She described her salary for the film as a "statement to the world",[47] but expressed disappointment that other Latina actors were not being afforded the same opportunities.[48] Despite having previously worked with the film's director Gregory Nava onMi Familia, Lopez participated in an intense auditioning process and spent time with the late singer's family inCorpus Christi, Texas before filming began.[49][50]Selena was a box office hit, and Lopez's performance received critical acclaim.[51][52]Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times described it as "a star-making performance" and wrote: "She has the star presence to look convincing in front of 100,000 fans."[53] Lopez received her firstGolden Globe nomination for the performance. Nava asked the heads of Warner Bros. to fund an Academy Award campaign for Lopez but was told the Academy would "never nominate a Latina."[54] Later in 1997, Lopez starred oppositeIce Cube in the horror filmAnaconda, which received negative reviews from critics but was a box office success.[55]Joe Leydon ofVariety found the film "silly" but said it deserved "a little credit" for being "the first movie of its kind to have a Latina and an African-American" as its stars.[56] In the crime filmU Turn (1997),[57] Lopez appeared topless in a sex scene that was added by directorOliver Stone during filming. Speaking in 2003, Lopez said it was not something "I would have chosen to do" and that she and Stone fought over it: "It's hard being the only woman on a set."[17]
Lopez starred oppositeGeorge Clooney in the crime caperOut of Sight (1998),Steven Soderbergh's adaptation of theElmore Leonard1996 novel.[58] Cast as a deputy federal marshal who falls for a charming criminal, she won rave reviews for her performance.[59][60]Janet Maslin ofThe New York Times described it as her "best movie role thus far, and she brings it both seductiveness and grit; if it was hard to imagine a hard-working, pistol-packing bombshell on the page, it couldn't be easier here."[61] Turan of theLos Angeles Times described Lopez as "an actress who can be convincingly tough and devastatingly erotic" and said the film solidified "her position as a woman you can confidently build a film around."[62] In 2021, Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian named Lopez and Clooney's partnership as one of the best examples of on-screen chemistry in cinema history.[63] Also in 1998, Lopez provided the voice of Azteca in the animated filmAntz.[59]
Lopez decided to pursue a music career after working onSelena, realizing that she had missed "the excitement of the stage".[30] Her new managerBenny Medina sought to position her as "a brand name that will cross over into all media."[30] Lopez, who was "really feeling [her] Latin roots",[64] recorded a Spanish-language demo for circulation among prospective labels. With Lopez being a high-profile personality, a bidding war ensued.[65]Tommy Mottola, the head ofSony Music'sWork Group, signed her but suggested that she sing in English instead.[66] Her record deal with Sony was described as "lucrative", having outbid other offers fromCapitol Records andEMI Latin.[67] While Lopez worked on her debut album, Sony "began a major push" to feature her with other high-profile entertainers, leading her to appear in theSean Combs music video "Been Around the World" (1997).[65]
Her debut album,On the 6 (1999), named after the6 Subway line which connected her childhood home in the Bronx to Manhattan,[68] was met with positive reviews and further propelled her public profile.[69][70] The album was a success and Lopez's debut single, "If You Had My Love", topped the U.S.Billboard Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks,[70] with another single, "Waiting for Tonight", reaching number eight and becoming a celebratory anthem for the new millennium.[71] Other singles from the album included "Let's Get Loud", which became one of Lopez's signature songs, and "No Me Ames", a duet with future husbandMarc Anthony.[70] In July 1999, she performed "If You Had My Love" and "Let's Get Loud" at the1999 FIFA Women's World Cup closing ceremony. It was watched by over one billion viewers worldwide, exposing Lopez's music career to a larger international audience.[72]
2000–2002: Box office success,J.Lo andThis Is Me... Then
In February 2000, Lopez and then-boyfriendSean Combs attended theGrammy Awards, with Lopez wearing a plunginggreen Versace silk chiffon dress.[73] The dress generated worldwide attention and became the most popular search query in Google's history, leading to the creation ofGoogle Images,[74] while boosting Lopez's album and movie ticket sales.[75] Later that year, Lopez starred in the psychological thrillerThe Cell, for which she received a $4 million salary.[69] The film, where Lopez played a psychologist who uses radical experimental therapy to enter the mind of a killer, received mixed reviews but was a box office success.[76] David Edelstein ofSlate remarked that the "imperious" Lopez was "trying to look waifishly expectant"[77] while Amy Taubin ofThe Village Voice noted that she appeared to be engaged "in some kind of pouting competition" "in lieu of acting."[78]
In January 2001, Lopez became the first woman to have a number-one film and album simultaneously in the United States, with the release of her second album,J.Lo, and her first romantic comedyThe Wedding Planner, which co-starredMatthew McConaughey.[79] Lopez had been searching for a romantic comedy role for several years; she wanted to show that she could be "every girl", stating: "I felt like all the women in romantic comedies always looked the same way, they were always white."[80] Despite negative reviews, the film opened at number one at the box office and solidified her place in Hollywood.[81][82][80] At the same time,J.Lo debuted at number one on the USBillboard 200; she was the first female solo recording artist underEpic Records to do so since the label's inception in 1953.[83]J.Lo was titled after the nickname she had been given by her fans, with Lopez also adopting J.Lo as her stagename.[84] The album received mixed critical reviews but became the most successful of her career, selling 12 million copies worldwide.[85][86] It produced four singles: "Love Don't Cost a Thing", which reached number one in various countries,[70] "Play", "I'm Real", and "Ain't It Funny". A remix of "I'm Real" featuring rapperJa Rule propelled that song to number one on theBillboard Hot 100.[87]
In September 2001, Lopez performed atwo-concert residency in Puerto Rico, which marked her first concerts. It was broadcast that November as anNBC special,Jennifer Lopez in Concert, and became one of the most-watched concert specials of the year, with a US audience of almost 12 million.[88] Also in 2001, Lopez founded her production company,Nuyorican Productions, with manager Benny Medina, and starred in the romantic drama,Angel Eyes, oppositeJim Caviezel.[89] Lopez's performance was well-reviewed,[90][91] though the film was a critical and commercial disappointment.[92] She was slated to star alongsideRicky Martin in a remake ofElvis Presley'sViva Las Vegas, but this did not eventuate.[93]
There was a time when I was very overworked and I was doing music and movies and so many things. I was suffering from a lack of sleep ... I was like — I don't want to move, I don't want to talk, I don't want to do anything. It was on that movie,Enough ... I had anervous breakdown.
Lopez released two albums in 2002. The first wasJ to tha L–O! The Remixes, which became the first remix album in history to debut at number one on theBillboard 200.[95] Its singles included "Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)" and "I'm Gonna Be Alright", which reached number one and ten on theBillboard Hot 100, respectively.[96] Lopez's third studio album,This Is Me... Then, was released in late 2002, and was heavily influenced by her relationship with then-fiancéBen Affleck. It received mixed critical reviews;Billboard's Michael Paoletta noted the "considerable growth she reveals as a performer and tunesmith" on the album,[97] whileJon Caramanica called it "the least interesting music on the pop charts today."[98] The album became a commercial success, achieving the highest opening sales week of her career. The album's lead single, "Jenny from the Block", which peaked at number three on theBillboard Hot 100, was viewed as a response to the notion that Lopez had alienated her "core fan base: the black and Hispanic hip-hop community."[99] The album also spawned the US number-one single "All I Have".[70]
Lopez starred as an abused wife who fights back in the thrillerEnough (2002), a role which required her to learnKrav Maga.[92][100] An overworked Lopez suffered anervous breakdown in 2001 while filming it.[94] The film received negative reviews;[92] Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times felt it was "tacky material" and was surprised to see "an actress like Jennifer Lopez" involved with the project.[101] Her next film was the romantic comedy,Maid in Manhattan (2002), in which Lopez starred oppositeRalph Fiennes as a maid and single mother from the Bronx.[102] It became the highest-grossing film of her career at the time.[103] ReviewingMaid in Manhattan, A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times enjoyed Lopez as a romantic lead and said "her greatest skill as an actress" was "her ability to melt without cracking the hard shell of composure she wears."[104] Lopez was ranked among the top ten highest-paid actresses in Hollywood in 2002, earning $8 million per feature.[105]
Lopez became the subject of widespread media criticism in 2003 due to her public relationship with Ben Affleck and thetabloid depiction of her as a demanding diva.[106] She fired both her personal manager Benny Medina and her publicist in mid-2003;The New York Times reported that movie executives had become frustrated by having their communications with Lopez "largely filtered" through Medina.[107] That year, Lopez starred opposite Affleck in the romantic comedyGigli, which was abox-office bomb and is consideredone of the worst films of all time.[103][108][109] Rex Reed ofThe Observer criticized the lead actors, calling them "pathetically incompetent" in both "craft and talent".[110]Roger Ebert agreed that the movie "doesn't quite work", but found Lopez and Affleck "appealing in their performances" and noted the couple's chemistry.[111]
Lopez had a minor role opposite Affleck in the filmJersey Girl (2004). Following test audiences' negative reactions to the onscreen couple, her screen time was halved.[112] While she remained one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood during this period,[113][114] Lopez later described this as the lowest point of her career[115] and admitted she felt "eviscerated" by the media coverage surroundingGigli: "I lost my sense of self, questioned if I belonged in this business, thought maybe I did suck at everything. And my relationship self-destructed in front of the entire world. It was a two-year thing for me until I picked myself up again."[116] Months later, she starred oppositeRichard Gere in the romantic comedy-dramaShall We Dance?, which was a box-office success.[103]
She released her fourth studio album,Rebirth, in early 2005. Its title was symbolic of Lopez's hopes for "a new professional beginning".[117] It was recorded during a period where Lopez felt "a little bit lost, trying to get my footing in a new life", "I had just gotten married [to singerMarc Anthony] ... I wasn't with Benny [Medina]."[118] In a review ofRebirth, journalistAlexis Petridis remarked that the title "suggests even Lopez has realised that something is amiss with her career ... Despite the highlights, you're still left pondering the question: what happened to Jennifer Lopez?"[119] The album reached number two on theBillboard 200, but failed to replicate the sales of her previous albums.[120] Its lead single, "Get Right", however, reached number twelve on theBillboard Hot 100, becoming one of her most successful songs.[96]
The marketing for the romantic comedyMonster-in-Law (2005), in which Lopez starred oppositeJane Fonda, played up her "Gigli-and-tabloid tarnished image", and it became a box office success.[103][121] She next starred alongsideRobert Redford andMorgan Freeman in the dramaAn Unfinished Life (2005), which received mixed reviews. Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times predicted that the typical review would be unkind: "It will have no respect for Jennifer Lopez, because she is going through a period right now when nobody is satisfied with anything she does ... Give Lopez your permission to be good again; she is the same actress now as when we thought her so new and fine."[122]
The next year, she returned to the top five of theBillboard Hot 100 as a featured artist on "Control Myself", the lead single fromLL Cool J'stwelfth studio album.[123] In 2006, she reunited with director Gregory Nava to star in the crime dramaBordertown as a journalist investigatingfemale homicides in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.[124] The film was negatively reviewed and received adirect-to-video release.[103] David D'Arcy ofScreen Daily found Lopez "unconvincing" as a journalist.[125]
2007–2010: Career downturn
By the late 2000s, Lopez's commercial success had declined. Her music career "entered a plateau", while "her film career entered a period of some disappointing-to-middling successes".[126] In 2007, she starred opposite her then-husbandMarc Anthony in the music biopicEl Cantante, which told the story of Puerto Ricansalsa singerHéctor Lavoe and his wife Puchi.[127] It did not perform well at the box office and received mixed reviews from film critics; Lopez's performance, which she expressed pride in,[128] drew both praise and criticism.[117][129]
Lopez in 2008
Lopez released two studio albums in 2007. Her fifth album,Como Ama una Mujer, was her first to be recorded entirely in Spanish.[130] Chris Willman ofEntertainment Weekly acknowledged that the album offered "fairly persuasive proof" that Lopez can sing, but was unimpressed by the "flaccid torch songs."[131] It became the fifth Spanish album to debut in the top ten of theBillboard 200, and achieved the highest first-week sales for an artist's debut Spanish album at the time.[132] The lead single, "Qué Hiciste", reached number 86 on theBillboard Hot 100 while the second single, "Me Haces Falta", failed to chart. Lopez's sixth studio album,Brave, released later that year, was her lowest-charting album worldwide.[133] Jonathan Bernstein ofEntertainment Weekly was disappointed that Lopez had returned to "listless vocals" for her "back-to-the-dance-floor album."[134] The album debuted at number 12 on theBillboard 200[135] and produced two singles, "Do It Well" and "Hold It Don't Drop It". The first peaked at number 31 on theBillboard Hot 100 chart, while the latter failed to chart. While pregnant with twins, Lopez embarked upon her first ever concert tour,a show co-headlined by Anthony, in September 2007; the tour was well received.[117][136] She also created, produced and was featured in the MTV showDanceLife, which she described as a "passion project".[117]
After giving birth to twins in February 2008, Lopez took a career break.[137] She described the next few years as a "strange time" as she primarily focused on family and travelling with Anthony while he toured.[138] After rehiring former manager Medina,[139] Lopez released two songs in late 2009, "Louboutins" and "Fresh Out of the Oven". The songs were intended for her seventh studio album but failed to make an appearance on theBillboard charts, leading to her departure from Sony Music andEpic Records.[140] Lopez's first theatrical role in three years was in the romantic comedyThe Back-up Plan (2010).[137] Manohla Dargis ofThe New York Times was unimpressed by the movie and described Lopez as "an appealing screen presence with a disappointing big-screen track record. That's probably not all her fault: romantic roles for women often are the provenance of the bland or the blonde."[141]
A "big turning point" in Lopez's career came when she joined the judging panel of the singing competition seriesAmerican Idol for itstenth season, replacingSimon Cowell. Despite being advised that it was a "huge gamble",[142] she accepted the job, as she was "not getting offered a whole bunch of movies".[143] Lopez's appearance onAmerican Idol in 2011 returned her to prominence.[143] Hannah Elliot ofForbes described it as "a remarkable comeback", writing: "Idol humanized her. Viewers who knew only an attention-grabbing siren met a hardworking, self-made, empathetic single mother, who got emotional when contestants did well and when they failed."[144]
Lopez's exposure onAmerican Idol resulted in whatBillboard called "the most impressive reality-TV-based rejuvenation of a music career ever."[145] After signing a new recording contract withIsland Records, her seventh studio album,Love?, was released in early 2011. While the album itself was a moderate commercial success,[133] the single "On the Floor" was the year's highest-selling single by a female artist,[146] and ultimately became the best-selling single of her career.[120] It reached number three on theBillboard Hot 100, becoming her highest-charting song as a lead artist since "All I Have".[147] The album produced two more singles, "I'm Into You" and "Papi", which did not achieve similar success.[145] By the end of 2011, Lopez was deemed the "world's greatest musical comeback act", based on a study which analysed over one billionGoogle searches since 2004.[148]
Lopez returned as a judge forAmerican Idol'seleventh season in 2012, earning a reported $20 million.[144] That year, she released her greatest hits album,Dance Again... the Hits, to fulfil her contractual obligations with her former label Epic Records.[149] Lopez, who was divorcing Anthony and navigating the "breakup of a family", felt as if the album's sole single, "Dance Again", had come to her at the "perfect moment".[150] "Dance Again" reached number 17 on the U.S.Billboard Hot 100. Lopez launched theDance Again World Tour, her first headlining concert tour, in mid-2012. It grossed over $1 million per show.[151]
Lopez returned to the big screen in 2012, starring alongside anensemble cast in the filmWhat to Expect When You're Expecting, which is based on the 1984 bookWhat to Expect When You're Expecting.[152] Lopez voiced Shira, a saber tooth tiger, in the animated film,Ice Age: Continental Drift, the fourth film in theIce Age franchise.[153][154] Also in 2012, a talent show,¡Q'Viva! The Chosen followed Lopez, Anthony, and director-choreographerJamie King as they travelled across 21 countries in Latin America to find new talent for aLas Vegas show.[155] In 2013, Lopez starred alongsideJason Statham in the crime thrillerParker, in which she played Leslie. Her performance earned positive reviews, with theChicago Tribune commending the role for giving Lopez "an opportunity to be dramatic, romantic, funny, depressed, euphoric and violent. The audience stays with her all the way".[156] That year, Lopez released the single "Live It Up", and was namedchief creative officer ofNuvoTV.[157][158] She also served as an executive producer of the television seriesThe Fosters (2013–2018), a show about a lesbian couple raising a family. Lopez's desire to work on the series was driven by her late aunt, who was gay.[159]
2015 saw the release ofThe Boy Next Door, an erotic thriller that Lopez both co-produced and starred in as a high school teacher who becomes involved with a student, which eventually leads to his dangerous obsession with her.[163] The film received negative reviews from critics.[164] Despite this, it became her most successful opening at the box office for a live action film sinceMonster-in-Law.[165][166] Lopez had a voice role in the animated featureHome and contributed the single "Feel the Light" to the film's official soundtrack.[167][168] She also starred in the independent drama filmLila & Eve, alongsideViola Davis.[169]
2016–2021: Television work,Hustlers and Super Bowl LIV
In January 2016, Lopez commenced a concert residency show,All I Have, atPlanet Hollywood'sZappos Theater inLas Vegas.[170] She performed 120 shows during the three-year run, grossing over $100 million in ticket sales.[171][172] At the beginning of the residency, Lopez signed a multi-album deal with her former label Epic Records[173]—though she would depart the label before releasing any albums—and released "Ain't Your Mama", one of her most successful singles during the 2010s.[174] Also in 2016, she began starring inNBC's crime drama seriesShades of Blue, which she also executive produced. She playedHarlee Santos, a single mother and police detective who goes undercover for the FBI to investigate her own squad.[175] The series' premiere brought NBC its most-watched Thursday debut in seven years.[176] Starring alongsideRay Liotta, Lopez's performance received critical praise.[177][178] That year, she reprised her voice role as Shira in the animated filmIce Age: Collision Course (2016).[179]
Lopez was executive producer and judge on NBC's dance competition seriesWorld of Dance,[180] which was a ratings success upon its May 2017 premiere.[181][182] That year, Lopez released the singles "Ni Tú Ni Yo" and "Amor, Amor, Amor", which were intended to be included on her second Spanish-language album,Por Primera Vez,[132][183] which was ultimately shelved.
In 2018, Lopez released a string of Spanish andSpanglish singles: "Se Acabó el Amor", "El Anillo", "Dinero" featuringDJ Khaled andCardi B, and "Te Guste" withBad Bunny.Forbes noted that the songs were unable to "completely connect on a crossover, mainstream level", but were more successful on US-based Latin charts, nearly all of them reaching number one on theBillboardLatin Airplay chart.[184] She later starred in and executive produced the comedy filmSecond Act (2018), directed byPeter Segal;[185] she also recorded the single "Limitless" for its soundtrack.[186]Second Act earned mixed reviews from critics,[187] but performed well at the box office, grossing over $72 million on a $16 million budget.[188]
Lopez performing during herIt's My Party tour in July 2019
In the first half of 2019, Lopez embarked on an international concert tour,It's My Party, to celebrate her 50th birthday. The tour grossed an estimated $54.7 million from thirty-eight shows.Variety reported that most shows were sold out.[189] She also signed with new labelHitco Entertainment and released the single "Medicine" featuring French Montana.[190] She also became executive producer of two television series,Good Trouble andThanks a Million.[191]
Lopez executive produced and starred in the crime drama filmHustlers (2019). Directed byLorene Scafaria, the film is inspired by a true story, following a group ofManhattanstrippers who con wealthy maleWall Street clientele.[192] Lopez's portrayal of a veteran stripper inHustlers garnered acclaim from critics, with some deeming it the best performance of her acting career.[193][194][195] The film also gave Lopez her highest opening weekend at the box office for a live action film, grossing $33.2 million.[188][196] Her performance received nominations for Best Supporting Actress at theGolden Globe Awards,Screen Actors Guild Awards,Critics' Choice Movie Awards andIndependent Spirit Awards.[197] The success ofHustlers was regarded by various media outlets as a comeback as an actress for Lopez.[198][199][200] Her perceived Academy Award snub forHustlers (2019) was referenced by Los Angeles mayorEric Garcetti when announcing a new initiative for Latino representation in Hollywood.[201]
After marryingBen Affleck and entering a publishing partnership withBMG Rights Management,[223] Lopez released her ninth studio album,This Is Me... Now, in February 2024.[224] A sequel toThis Is Me... Then (2002), the album spawned two singles: "Can't Get Enough", and "Rebound" featuring rapperAnuel AA.[225][226] Lopez promoted the album with an exclusive concert at theOrpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, which was recorded as a concert film and released byApple TV+ on February 21, 2024.[227]
This Is Me... Now formed part of a "three-part multimedia project" which included a companion musical film,This Is Me... Now: A Love Story directed byDave Meyers, and a documentary,The Greatest Love Story Never Told.[218][228] Lopez plays a fictionalized version of herself inA Love Story, which was described as an "autobiographical musical rom-com action sci-fi"[229] inspired by her own "tumultuous dating history".[230] After potential partners backed out, Lopez financed the film herself for $20 million before it was purchased by Amazon.[218] WhileA Love Story received positive reviews from critics and became a success on Prime Video,[231] the film and its accompanying documentary also divided audiences, due in part to the overexposure of her relationship with Affleck.[230][232] Lopez was set to embark on theThis Is Me... Live North American tour, but cancelled it in order to spend more time with her family. Shortly after, it was announced that she and Affleck were divorcing.[233][234] She would later state that "it was like my whole f***ing world exploded" amid the public scrutiny surrounding her personal and professional life in 2024.[232]
Lopez in 2024
Despite facing public scrutiny throughout 2024, Lopez's films continued to achieve success;Collider andDeadline Hollywood noted her to be among the most successful actors of the streaming era.[230][231] She co-produced and starred in thesci-fi thrillerAtlas (2024), the third project under her Netflix deal.[235][236]Atlas received negative reviews from critics but became a success on the platform.[237][238] In a positive review of the film,The New York Times praised Lopez's performance and called the film "an intriguing concept."[239] Her next role was in the biographical sports dramaUnstoppable (2024), in which she plays the mother of wrestlerAnthony Robles. The film premiered at theToronto International Film Festival and received limited theatrical release before debuting on Prime Video. Lopez received praise for her work in the film,[240] which Owen Gleiberman ofVariety called "the fullest screen performance she has ever given".[241] She was presented withVariety's "Legend & Groundbreaker Award" at the 2025Palm Springs International Film Festival in honor ofUnstoppable and her overall career.[242]
In late 2025/early 2026, she will play a multi-night residency at the Colosseum atCaesars Palace.[247] Lopez will co-produce and star oppositeBrett Goldstein in Netflix'sOffice Romance.[248] She will also co-produce a series adaptation ofEmily Henry's 2023 novelHappy Place for Netflix.[249] She has also committed to lead and co-produce Netflix's film adaptation of the bestselling novel,The Cipher.[250] Lopez has several projects in the works as a producer.[251][252][253] Through her continued partnership with Netflix, she will also star in an adaption of the novelThe Last Mrs. Parrish, directed byRobert Zemeckis.[254]
Personal life
Lopez was in a nearly decade-long relationship with David Cruz, her high-school boyfriend, until the mid-1990s.[255] They were engaged at one point, and Cruz relocated to Los Angeles to be with her when she began pursuing her career.[256] She later said of Cruz, "You get lucky, you have a first love like that."[257] She was married to Cuban waiter Ojani Noa from February 1997 to January 1998. In subsequent court cases, Noa was prevented from publishing a book about their marriage[258][259] and from using private honeymoon footage of Lopez in a documentary.[260][261]
Lopez was in anon-again, off-again relationship with record producer and rapperSean Combs (then known as "Puff Daddy") from 1999 to early 2001.[262][263] On the night of December 27, 1999, Lopez, Combs and rapperShyne were arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon and possession of stolen property, after leaving the scene of a shooting at aTimes Square nightclub.[264] Charges against Lopez were dropped within an hour[265] while Combs was acquitted of all charges at trial in March 2001.[266] They broke up shortly thereafter.[22] Shyne was sentenced to ten years in prison.[267] Lopez later said that, while she had "cared very much" about Combs, their "crazy, tumultuous" relationship "was always something I knew would end."[268][22] She was married to Cris Judd, her former backup dancer, from September 2001 to January 2003.[269]
Before her divorce with Judd was finalized, Lopez was in a relationship with actor and filmmakerBen Affleck from mid-2002 to early 2004. Although they had crossed paths several times before (including at the70th Academy Awards and at the premiere ofArmageddon,[270] both in 1998), their first major meeting was on the set ofGigli (2003) in December 2001.[271][272] They later worked together on the music video for "Jenny from the Block" and the filmJersey Girl (2004).[273][274] Her albumThis Is Me... Then was dedicated to and inspired by Affleck. Their relationship was extensively publicized.[275] Tabloids referred to the couple as "Bennifer", a portmanteauVanity Fair described as "the first of that sort of tabloid branding".[276] They became engaged in November 2002,[277][278] but their planned wedding on September 14, 2003, was postponed with four days' notice because of "excessive media attention".[279][280] They ended their engagement in January 2004.[281] Years later, Lopez said Affleck's discomfort with media scrutiny was one reason for their split[22][282] and described it as her "first real heartbreak": "I think different time, different thing, who knows what could've happened, but there was a genuine love there."[283]
After her relationship with Affleck, Lopez stopped discussing her personal life in interviews.[284] She was married to singerMarc Anthony from June 2004 to June 2014;[285][286] they had previously worked together and dated for a few months in the late 1990s.[22][287] Their wedding took place five months after the end of her relationship with Affleck. During their marriage, they collaborated on music and performed together, as well as co-starring inEl Cantante (2006).[288] Lopez gave birth to fraternal twins, a boy and a girl, onLong Island in February 2008.[289][290]People magazine paid a reported US$6 million for the first photographs of the twins, making themthe most expensive celebrity pictures ever taken at the time.[291] In 2009, Anthony and Lopez purchased a stake in theMiami Dolphins.[292] They announced their separation in July 2011. Anthony filed for divorce in April 2012[293] and it was finalized in June 2014. Lopez retained primary physical custody of the two children.[2] Lopez occasionally performs with her daughter.[294]
Lopez had an on-again, off-again relationship with her former backup dancer Casper Smart from October 2011 to August 2016.[295][296] She datedNew York Yankees baseball playerAlex Rodriguez from February 2017 to early 2021.[297][298][116] They became engaged in March 2019[299] but postponed their wedding twice due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. In response to tabloid speculation about the state of their relationship, they released a statement in March 2021, saying they were "working through some things".[300] They announced the end of their relationship in April 2021.[301]
In April 2021, Lopez and Affleck were reported to be dating again,[302] with Lopez publicly confirming their rekindled relationship that July.[303] In April 2022, Lopez announced their second engagement, 20 years after the first proposal.[304] They were married in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022,[305] and held a wedding celebration for family and friends the following month.[306] On August 20, 2024, Lopez filed for divorce from Affleck, citing April 26, 2024, as the date of their separation.[307] She also requested that her legal name be changed back to Jennifer Lynn Lopez.[308] On January 6, 2025, the divorce was finalized.[309]
Other activities
Business ventures and endorsements
Lopez first ventured into product endorsement in 1998, becoming a national spokesperson forCoca-Cola andL'Oréal.[310][311] In 2001, Lopez launched her first business venture, the lifestyle brandJ.Lo by Jennifer Lopez. It included a clothing line which catered to women of all sizes, as Lopez felt "the voluptuous woman [was] almost ignored" in the fashion industry.[84] The following year, she opened Madre's, a Los Angeles restaurant serving Latin cuisine,[312] and released her first fragrance,Glow by JLo, through a partnership withCoty, Inc.; it became the top-selling fragrance in the U.S.[313] In 2003, she released a second fragrance,Still Jennifer Lopez, and became the face ofLouis Vuitton's fall advertising campaign.[314] Lopez has since released 30 fragrances as of 2020.[315] Her clothing lines and two fragrances generated over $300 million in revenue throughout 2004.[79]
In 2005, Lopez launched her second fashion label, Sweetface, which was geared towards "high fashion" in comparison to her previous fashion line.[316] She also appeared in aKill Bill-inspiredPepsi commercial withBeyoncé andDavid Beckham.[317] In the late 2000s, her restaurant Madre's closed permanently,[312] as did her two fashion lines.[144] In 2011, in the midst of her career resurgence, Lopez became brand ambassador for various brands includingL'Oréal,Gilette Venus,Tous andFiat.[144] She also launched theJennifer Lopez Collection, a clothing and homeware line withTommy Hilfiger forKohl's; the collection generated an estimated $3 billion in sales during its first year.[142] The following year, she launchedTeeology, a luxury T-shirt brand.[318] In 2013, she founded the phone retail brandViva Móvil, which caters specifically to Latinos.[319]
In 2014, Lopez released a range of jewelry, designed in partnership with Endless Jewelry.[320] In 2016, she designed a capsule collection of shoes and jewelry in collaboration withGiuseppe Zanotti.[321] The following year, she was announced as the new face of clothing companyGuess, becoming the oldest spokeswoman in the company's history.[322] In collaboration withInglot Cosmetics, Lopez launched a limited-edition makeup collection in 2018.[323] In 2019, she became the global face of theCoach brand,[324] and launched a collection of sunglasses with the brand Quay Australia.[325] In 2020, after modelling an updated version of her iconicGreen Versace "jungle" dress atMilan Fashion Week the previous year, Lopez was the face of the brand's Spring/Summer 2020 campaign, which featured other pieces based on the same jungle print.[326]
Throughout 2021, Lopez focused on investments and creating her own brands. She launched her skin care company, JLo Beauty,[327] released a shoe collection in partnership withDSW, and invested in companies includingHims & Hers Health,Bodyarmor SuperDrink, Goli nutritional supplements and meal delivery serviceWonder.[328] In March 2022, she was appointed as the chief "entertainment and lifestyle" officer of the cruise line,Virgin Voyages.[329] That September, she became the global ambassador of Italian lingerie labelIntimissimi.[330] In 2023, Lopez launched aspritz brand named Delola in collaboration with mixologistLynnette Marrero.[331] That year, she partnered with fashion retailer Revolve to design a footwear line, JLO Jennifer Lopez, which was released as three collections in March, May, and June.[332][333] In 2024, she released a lingerie collection with Intimissimi inspired by her albumThis Is Me... Now.[334]
Lopez has been a long-time supporter of theChildren's Hospital Los Angeles. Her albumRebirth (2005) is dedicated to Paige Peterson,[342] an eleven-year-old cancer patient she befriended at the hospital who died in 2004. Lopez stated that "[she doesn't] like to do [her] charity work in public. That's not what you do it for."[343] In 2009, Lopez launched theLopez Family Foundation[c] alongside her sister, Lynda. The organization works to increase healthcare access for underprivileged women and children, including through atelemedicine program in partnership with the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The foundation has facilitated the expansion of medical facilities inPanama and Puerto Rico, and created the Center for a Healthy Childhood atMontefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.[344][345]
In September 2017, followingHurricane Irma andHurricane Maria, Lopez donated $1 million from the proceeds of her Las Vegas residency tohumanitarian aid for Puerto Rico.[350][351] Along withMarc Anthony, she launched a humanitarian relief campaign entitled Somos Una Voz (English: We Are One Voice), an effort to rush supplies to areas affected by Hurricane Maria.[352] Lopez and Anthony presented a concert and telethon for disaster relief, "One Voice: Somos Live!", which raised over $35 million.[353] She was also among various artists featured onLin-Manuel Miranda's charity single "Almost Like Praying", which benefits Puerto Rico.[354]
As of 2021, Lopez continues to regularly donate to and support charities.[355] In September 2021, she launched a philanthropic organization, Limitless Labs, which supports and empowers Latina entrepreneurs and business owners. Limitless Labs has entered partnerships with the10,000 Small Businesses initiative[356] andGrameen America, the latter being an effort to empower Latina businesses with $14 million in business loans and "6 million hours of financial education and training by 2030."[357][358] Lopez headlined theLos Angeles Dodgers Foundation's Blue Diamond Gala in 2022, which raised $3.6 million for education, health care, homelessness and social justice causes.[359]
A supporter of theDemocratic Party, Lopez has a long history of backing Democratic candidates for public office.[360] She endorsed PresidentBarack Obama in his2012 presidential campaign, speaking in television advertisements and attending fundraising events for Obama.[361][362] She endorsed Democratic presidential nomineeHillary Clinton in 2016, headlining a free concert in Florida in support of her that October.[362][363]
Lopez is an avid supporter ofLGBTQ rights, and has raised millions of dollars forHIV/AIDS research.[369] In June 2013,amfAR presented her with its humanitarian award for her philanthropic work.[369] That September, she was awarded the Ally for Equality award presented by theHuman Rights Campaign, for her support of the LGBTQ community.[370] The following year, she received theGLAAD Vanguard Award.[371] In July 2016, Lopez released a single entitled "Love Make the World Go Round", a collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda, which benefits victims of theOrlando nightclub shooting.[372] She was also featured on the song "Hands" along with numerous other artists, also benefiting those affected by the Orlando shooting.[373] Lopez signed an open letter fromBillboard magazine to theUnited States Congress in 2016, which demanded action ongun control.[374]
In June 2020, Lopez attended aBlack Lives Matter movement protest in Los Angeles, in connection with the broaderGeorge Floyd protests.[375] Lopez has also been an active advocate for theTime's Up movement.[376] In January 2022, she became one of the co-chairs forMichelle Obama's When We All Vote.[377] She expressed solidarity with the people of theGaza Strip during theGaza war. As part of a group calledArtists4Ceasefire, she signed a letter urging President Joe Biden to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.[378]
Artistry
Influences
Lopez credited Puerto Rican actressRita Moreno's performance in the musical filmWest Side Story (1961) as the major influence on her career path and artistry.[379] Moreno was the only performer Lopez was able to identify with, at a time when Latinos were rarely on television.[380] She was also inspired byBarbara Streisand's career as a singer, director and actress.[197] Growing up, she was influenced by Latin music styles ranging fromsalsa tobachata, and artists includingCelia Cruz andTito Puente, though it was the hip hop song "Rapper's Delight" (1979) byThe Sugarhill Gang that she said changed her life.[381]
Lopez has citedMadonna as her "first big musical influence", explaining "It was all about Madonna for me. She inspired me to want to sing, to dance, to work hard."[382][383] Her other major influences includeTina Turner,James Brown, andMichael Jackson.[384] Lopez has citedJanet Jackson as a major inspiration for her own dance and music videos, stating that she "probably started dancing" because of Jackson's music video for "The Pleasure Principle".[385][386] She also looked to the careers ofCher,Bette Middler andDiana Ross,[69] and has been inspired by younger artists such asLady Gaga.[387]
A sample of "Waiting for Tonight", aEuro-centricdance-pop song with distinctlyLatin influences, which Lopez is known for incorporating in her music. It was credited with establishing her as a leading artist in the dance-pop genre.[120][388][389]
Musically, Lopez is described as a "chameleon" by outlets likeVariety andForbes, having been known to experiment and jump between genres.[120][388][184][390] Her music strongly identifies with hip hop while exploring the "romantic innocence" of Latin music.[391]Billboard observed that she has "never been one to downplay her Latinidad, and always makes sure to display it" in her music, "regardless of genre".[388]On the 6 andJ.Lo, described by Lopez asLatin soul, fuse a wide range of Latin genres withR&B and hip hop, while also containingdance-pop.[388][92][30] While mostly English, the albums include some Spanish and bilingual songs such as "Cariño",[392] with Lopez also speaking in Spanish and asserting her Latin identity on songs like "Let's Get Loud".[393][394] A departure from her previous work,This Is Me... Then blends 1970ssoul with "streetwise" hip hop.[97]Rebirth was noted for its "relaxing" atmosphere, whileComo Ama una Mujer was characterized as "silkily sedate SpanishSade worship".[120]Brave andLove? delved further into dance-pop,[134][395] whileA.K.A. andThis Is Me... Now saw her return to her R&B roots, though the latter eschews Latin influences.[396][397]
Described as autobiographical,[398] most of Lopez's music has centered around the "ups and downs" of love, often inspired by her own love life.[399][400] Lyrically,This Is Me... Then is largely focused on her relationship withBen Affleck; the song "Dear Ben" was described as the album's "glowing centerpiece".[401] Its sequel album,This Is Me... Now, was informed by her marriage to Affleck, and Lopez's "psychological journey of the past two decade".[402]Como Ama una Mujer features introspective lyrics about romance, heartache and self-loathing.[130] RegardingLove?, Lopez stated: "There's still so much to learn and that's why the question mark."[399] Other recurrent themes in Lopez's music have included her upbringing in the Bronx,[30][403]social class[390] andwomen's empowerment.[404]
Lopez has received mixed reviews for her "light"soubrette voice,[405] which critics have described as thin,[397] and overshadowed by her music's production.[406][407][408] WithOn the 6, critics described Lopez's voice as a "sultry purr" and "breathy";[409][410]Rob Sheffield remarked: "Lopez sticks to the understated R&B murmur of a round-the-way superstar who doesn't need to belt because she knows you're already paying attention ... She makes a little va-va and a whole lot of voom go a long way."[411] Lopez, who often worried about her singing "not being as strong" as her other attributes, would later credit ex-husbandMarc Anthony for helping her find her "best singing voice".[412]Pitchfork described her voice as being "stronger than ever" onThis Is Me... Now, while opining that "the thinness of the voice has often been beside the point, if not a boon to her early career", which was marked by "Bronx regularness".[128]
Lopez has been criticized for her use of background vocals fromdemo singers, prompting rumors ofghost singers' vocals being used in place of her own.[413][414] The rumors have been debunked by writers and background singers who worked with Lopez,[415][416] includingChristina Milian ("Play"), who called the controversy "funny" and said: "It's no different than Michael Jackson having background singers on songs orBritney Spears. This is what music is made of."[416]
Considered one of dance's "greatest success stories",[180] Lopez has received praise for her highly choreographed dancing,[405][417][418] and is noted for her technical skill.[419] She has been trained in a range of dance styles, including ballet, jazz, flamenco, ballroom,[420] pole dancing,[421] breakdancing, street dance, and hip hop.[422] Her signature movements include "clock-wise pivoting with salsa hip circles and sequential torso undulations".[423] Described byMTV's Madeline Roth as "some of the most memorable visuals of the 21st century",[424] Lopez's music videos made her a dominant figure on MTV,[425][426] and helped influence2000s fashion trends.[427][428] Her music videos are known for showcasing her ability as a dancer,[429] whichCNN's Holly Thomas said gave her a "captivating, commanding presence",[430] as well as themes of surveillance and fame.[429][431] Her videography and dancing have also been criticized for their provocative nature,[432][433] with Lopez being described as one of the Latin performers whose work "racialized and sexualized their bodies".[434]
On stage, Lopez is recognized for her showmanship, sex appeal, and glamorous costumes, which often includebodysuits.[435][436] Journalists have described her as the "ultimateshowgirl".[437][438] While being noted to lip sync in the early stages of career,[439][440] Lopez's Dance Again World Tour was praised for showcasing live vocals and choreography synchronously.[405][441][442] In a review of her Las Vegas residency All I Have,Los Angeles Times writer Nolan Feeney remarked that her dancing is "undoubtedly the centerpiece of the show".[435]
Her provocative stage performances and costumes have also drawn scrutiny.Robin Givhan ofThe Daily Beast criticized the nude bodysuit Lopez wore during her performance at the2011 American Music Awards, calling it "banalexhibitionism" which "cried out for attention in all the wrong ways".[443] A number of her performances have been deemed inappropriate for television,[444][445] including her controversial appearance at the Moroccan musical festival,Mawazine, in 2015. Moroccan Prime MinisterAbdelilah Benkirane called it "disgraceful" and demanded that legal measures be taken, while an education group claimed that she "disturbed public order and tarnished women's honor and respect".[446]
Lopez's films often see her playing "relatable everywomen",[447] with Cady Lang ofTime writing: "A longtime hallmark of Lopez's filmography is her penchant for stories about survivors. Her characters are never shrinking violets."[448] Discussing the roles she is drawn to, Lopez said in 1998: "I don't think of them as strong women ... I like characters that are really part of the story as opposed to window dressing, but I think the interesting thing is that they are real people. Nobody walks around being strong all the time."[449] Like her music, a number of her film roles exploreclass consciousness, includingMaid in Manhattan (2002) andSecond Act (2018).[450]
Film criticStephanie Zacharek described Lopez as "one of the most gifted and appealing performers of the past two decades ... and yet the movies have rarely known what to do with her and her significant gifts as an actor."[451] While Lopez received acclaim for her early film work,The New York Times writer Kyle Buchanan noted that her tendency to star in romantic comedies, and her pop music career, "lowered her critical bona fides".[60]Taylor Hackford, who directed Lopez inParker, said she "can really act": "She knows how to transmit nuances, to make the subtlest of shifts. Does she have humor? Yes. But at the same time she can get into the deepest dramatic areas."[118] Lopez, who identifies the romantic comedy as her favorite film genre,[452] has been referred to as the "Patron Saint of Romantic Comedies"[451] and the "Queen of Romantic Comedies".[453][454]
In her early films, Lopez played stereotypical roles which signified her as a "racialized, exoticized"other. In films such asBlood and Wine andU Turn, her body is fetishized "through extreme close-ups" and "framed as animalistic, primitive, and irresistibly dangerous to the Anglo American male characters."[455] This shifted with her role inSelena, which "affirmed her Latinx identity, and won her the loyalty of that significant section of the U.S. and global audience."[203] She has also been criticized for playing ethnically ambiguous parts and tapping into "the ability to perform apanethnic other" to commodify herself.[455] Her role as an Italian woman inThe Wedding Planner has been described as "a case of classic Hollywood whitewashing."[82]
Public image
Lopez has been a polarizing figure in popular culture.[456][457] Andrew Barker ofVariety writes that she "exhibits a plethora of contradictions", observing: "Despite a carefully cultivated image as an imperious pop empress in ludicrously expensive outfits, her signature hits bear the titles 'I'm Real' and 'Jenny From the Block'."[120] In 2002, Lynette Holloway ofThe New York Times described Lopez's image as including "a dash ofghetto fabulousness" and "middle-class respectability" for mass appeal.[99] The media discerned a shift in her public image upon joiningAmerican Idol in 2011,[456][458] withEntertainment Weekly writing: "Gone was her old cut-a-bitch swagger; J. Lo 2.0 is an all-embracing,Oprahfied earthmadre."[459]People editorPeter Castro saidAmerican Idol made Lopez "a celebrity of the people" whereas before, "there was a huge distance with the American public."[458]
Lopez is widely celebrated for her curvaceous hourglass figure,[460][461] which earned her the nicknameLa Guitarra (the guitar).[84]Vanity Fair described her buttocks as "in and of themselves, a cultural icon".[462] Recounting her experience on early films, Lopez stated: "I've always had costume people looking at me a little weary and immediately fitting me out with things to hide my bottom."[463] She often wears revealing outfits to accentuate her curves.[464] Author Mary Beltrán opined that for Lopez to "unashamedly display her well-endowed posterior during this time period" could be viewed as "a revolutionary act with respect to Anglo beauty ideals".[465] However, she was also criticized for perceived changes in her image upon launching her music career,[465] which included "weight loss and lightening her hair".[466]
Considered a fashion icon, Lopez is known for her sense of style and "breaking fashion rules".[467][84][468] She is recognized for both her "bold" red carpet fashion,[469] including fourteen appearances at thehaute coutureMet Gala in New York City, and her everyday street style, which is "discussed ad infinitum by the fashion press."[470][471]British Vogue said she "added megawatt glamour to every outfit she wore",[270] withBillboard describing her style as "scantily clad".[472] Lopez's style has been influenced by "women who epitomize old Hollywood glamour likeRita Hayworth", as well as her Bronx upbringing andNuyorican identity.[473] Described as the "ultimatesex symbol" of the early 21st century,[474] various publications have ranked her as the most beautiful or sexiest woman in the world, includingPeople,[144]People en Español,[475]Vibe,[476]Details,[477] andFHM, with Lopez topping the latter's100 Sexiest Women list twice.[478] Lopez has criticized "this funny notion in America that you can't be a mom and be sexy", stating: "The truth is that women can be sexy until the day they die."[163]
Described as "one of the most photographed women in the world",[484] Lopez has long been a tabloid fixture, and admits to having a "less-than-perfect" public image.[485][486]Frances Negrón-Muntaner wrote that by 1999, "Internet chat rooms exploded with anti-Lopez babble" and she became "one of the easiest moving targets for cheap laughs as well as anxieties about working-class 'loud' sexuality and specifically Latino visibility."[487] Much of the media coverage surrounding Lopez in the 2000s "focused on her dramatic private life",[69] with several writers describing her as overexposed at the time, despite her continued success.[99][488] Media outlets often liken her to actressElizabeth Taylor, due to her numerous failed relationships and glamorous public persona.[489][490][491] Her high-profile relationship with Combs was described as having "defined an age",[106] withVanity Fair writing that they entered "the pantheon of slightly notorious celebrity couples:Liz andDick, Frank and Ava."[492]
Throughout her career, she has also received a bad reputation as being a demanding and outspoken "diva",[493][465] something which she denies, stating: "I've always been fascinated by how much more well-behaved we have to be than men."[494] Some of the backlash and fabricated tabloid stories surrounding Lopez have been attributed to her 1998 interview withMovieline, in which she was quoted as criticizing various actors and directors. Lopez, who "cried for hours" after the article was published, said the comments were made in jest and she was "so misquoted and so taken out of context".[492] In 2003,Lawrence Donegan ofThe Guardian posited that "indefensible" misogyny and racism were to blame for her position as "the most vilified woman in modern popular culture".[106] In 2021,Ben Affleck said: "People were so fucking mean about her; sexist, racist, ugly vicious shit was written about her in ways that if you wrote it now, you would literally be fired for saying some of the things you said."[495]
Regarded as one of the most influential performers of her time,[496] Lopez is often cited by journalists and academics as the most influential entertainer of Latin descent,[497][498] credited with breaking racial barriers in the entertainment industry.[499][500] She was described as "the first Latina superstar" by writerNed Zeman,[492] and the "embodiment of theAmerican Dream" by Robert C. Cottrell inIcons of American Popular Culture (2009).[501]Maer Roshan, editor-in-chief ofThe Hollywood Reporter, said "Lopez has broken barriers and redefined what’s possible for women and Latinos in entertainment."[502] Often dubbed the "Queen of Dance" by media outlets,[503] she is considered atriple threat performer,[203][504][505] and was one of few actors to successfully cross over into music.[506]Rachel Sklar ofThe Huffington Post called Lopez a trailblazer, writing: "Beyoncé,Miley, Gaga, any actress who's ever released an album — they are all standing on the shoulders of J.Lo. She was a true triple threat — actress, singer, dancer ... and packaged it sometimes outrageously but always sexily."[507] Lopez is considered apop icon,[508][509] withVH1 ranking her at number 15 on their list of200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons,[510] number 16 on 100 Greatest Women In Music,[511] and number 21 on 50 Greatest Women of the Video Era.[512]
The highest-paid Latina actress in history,[513][514] Lopez's film career has been credited with paving the way for greater representation ofLatino Americans in Hollywood, a historically white space.[515][516][465][517] Biographer Kathleen Tracy opined that "Lopez blazed a trail no openly Latin actress had gone before", noting that previous Latina stars cosmetically downplayed their ethnicity and changed their names.[518] Lopez, who achieved "ethnic 'blind' casting" withOut of Sight (1998),[519] is noted by biographerJames Robert Parish to have "helped minimize racial boundaries in show business" by deliberately avoiding stereotypical roles.[499]
With her musical debut, Lopez helped influence the Latin pop movement in American music, often dubbed the "Latin explosion" of the 1990s.[498][520]The Recording Academy called her the "breakout female star" of the Latin pop movement,[521] with historianRoger Bruns describing her as "an influential force in driving a growing Latin cultural influence in popular music" at the time.[65] Ella Cerón ofTeen Vogue wrote: "In an era of blonde,bubblegum pop, there was only one J.Lo."[522] She has been credited with paving the way for U.S.-born Latina artists includingSelena Gomez,Becky G, andCardi B,[523][517] and for Latin American artists to venture into English pop music, includingShakira,Thalía andPaulina Rubio.[524] Along withRicky Martin, she helped increase the visibility of Latin music in international markets including East Asia and Canada.[425][525] Due to her "multi-tasking career", she has been described as "the next-generationMadonna",[526] and "the first woman to demonstrate that a Madonna could be a Latina".[390]
Lopez's music has been credited with helping influence the trajectory of2000s music,[71] including dance music,[120][389] Latin music,[527] R&B,[528] andpop rap collaborations.[87][71]Billboard magazine described her as having "helped define an era where hip-hop, R&B and pop all got more cuddly together than ever before".[529] ScholarMiriam Jiménez Román suggested that Lopez, who represents the "often-suppressed" history of Puerto Ricans in hip hop culture, was "able to traverse the difficult racial boundaries".[530] In July 2023,Madame Tussauds New York unveiled a wax figure of Lopez inspired by her performance at theSuper Bowl LIV halftime show.[531]
Jonathan Van Meter ofVogue described Lopez as having "changed the face of modern celebrity."[118] Her ability to start trends has prompted the usage of the phrase "the J.Lo effect" in popular culture, which has been used in various different contexts,[537][538][539] including the trend of networks hiring "big name" judges for reality competition programs after Lopez's successful casting onAmerican Idol.[540] With her moniker J.Lo, Lopez started a trend of celebrities being given abbreviated nicknames, while "Bennifer" began the convention of celebrity couplename blending.[390][541]
Described by scholar Helene A. Shugart of theUniversity of Utah as "arguably the most visible Latina in contemporary mainstream popular culture", Lopez has been the subject of considerableacademic analysis, including in relation to ethnicity, class, "body politics",[542] race, Latin culture, and gender.[543][466] While credited with opening "the door to [Latino culture having a] broader appeal",[203] Lopez has also been a polarizing figure, generating "often vehement disagreement about what is and isn't Latino."[457] According to journalist Jesús Triviño Alarcón, Lopez "widened the scope of what it means to be Latina by simply being her. You don’t have to speak perfect Spanish, or Spanish at all, to be proud of your roots."[517]
As a result of thepublic emphasis on her curvaceous figure, Lopez has been credited with influencing a shift in culturalbeauty standards.[390][544][545][546] The surge in popularity ofbuttock augmentation surgery in the early 2000s was attributed to Lopez.[547][548] InLatin Sensations (2001), Herón Marquez wrote: "Because she wasn't rail thin, Lopez had broken the mold ... Suddenly, it was okay for women to have hips, curves, and a big backside."[549] This has been considered a sign of Lopez's social power in "changing cultural standards within the mainstream media as a whole".[550]
In 2014, scientists named a species of aquaticmite found in Puerto Rico,Litarachna lopezae, after Lopez.[551] InTok Pisin, a language spoken inPapua New Guinea, the termpalopa is used to describe non-heteronormative people whose identities may correlate with those who, in Western contexts, identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.[552][553] In 2019, she was presented with keys to the city ofMiami Beach, where July 24 was declared "Jennifer Lopez Day".[554]
TheCouncil of Fashion Designers of America presented Lopez with its Fashion Icon Award in 2019 for her "long-standing and global impact on fashion".[467] Hergreen Versace "Jungle Dress" was voted the fifth most iconic red carpet dress of all time in a poll run byThe Daily Telegraph.[555] The dress had a significant impact on the fashion industry, celebrity endorsements, and the evolution ofred carpet fashion.[556][469][557][558] The images of Lopez wearing the dress became the most popular search query of all time at that point, and subsequently led to the creation ofGoogle'simage search.[559] Lopez has been credited with popularizing various fashion and beauty trends throughout her career.[560][561][128][562][563] In 2003, she inspired a trend of curviermannequins being designed, which fuelled a rise in sales for manufacturers and retailers.[564][565][566] Lopez's personal style and brand deals have had a considerable effect on sales in the fashion industry.[526][562][567] The success ofLouis Vuitton's fall 2003 campaign, for which Lopez was the brand's model, led to more Hollywood stars "becoming image models of fashion and cosmetic labels".[568] In 2021,The Daily Telegraph reported that she was among ten celebrities whose personal style choices drove the greatest spikes in searches and news coverage for brands.[569] Her appearance atMilan Fashion Week in 2019 generated over $31.8 million in total media impact value.[570][571]
Described as a "branding pioneer", Lopez has been credited with ushering in a new era ofcelebrity branding.[558][572][118] Her first fragrance,Glow by JLo, influenced the rise of celebrity fragrances in the 2000s.[573][574][558][575] Her fragrance line became the most successful celebrity line in the world, with sales exceeding $2 billion as of 2012[update].[576] Lopez'sclothing brand was one of the first celebrity fashion lines;[577] scholars have credited her with redefining "how fashion is produced and entwined with other artistic endeavors",[524] and popularizing a trend of utilizing racial ambiguity for branding purposes in fashion and cosmetics.[578] As of 2022, her business ventures have cumulatively earned over US$5 billion in sales globally.[579]
As of 2022[update], Lopez has sold more than 80 million records worldwide and amassed over 15 billion streams; her films have grossed a cumulative total ofUS$3.1billion while her business ventures have cumulatively made overUS$5billion in consumer sales.[579] She remains the only female entertainer to have a number-one album and film simultaneously in the United States.[580] TheGuinness World Records acknowledgedJ to tha L–O! The Remixes (2002) as the first number-oneremix album on the U.S.Billboard 200,[581] and recognized "On the Floor" as the "Highest Viewed Female Music Video of All Time" in 2012.[582]Billboard named Lopez the topHot 100 female artist and theGreatest Pop Star of 2001.[583][474]Billboard ranked her as the ninth-greatest dance club artist of all time in 2016, having scored 18 number-one songs on itsDance Club Songs chart.[584][70] The magazine also ranked her at number 22 on its "Top 100 Women Artists of the 21st Century" list (2025).[585] She was named the top Latin touring artist of the decade byPollstar in 2021.[586]
^Cartlidge, Cherese (2012).Jennifer Lopez. Lucent Books. p. 13.ISBN978-1420507553.Jennifer Lynn Lopez's parents, David and Guadalupe, were both born in Ponce, the second-largest city in Puerto Rico.
^Hay, Carla (January 19, 2002)."Music & Showbiz".Billboard. Vol. 114, no. 3. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 76.Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. RetrievedFebruary 27, 2024.
^"Lopez is simply out of sight in 'Angel Eyes'".The Detroit News. May 18, 2001.
^Holson, Laura M. (July 14, 2003)."When Jenny Dumped Benny".The New York Times.Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. RetrievedOctober 5, 2021.
^Brown, Jane Delano; Steele, Jeanne R.; Walsh-Childers, Kim (2002).Sexual Teens, Sexual Media: Investigating Mediás Influence on Adolescent Sexuality. Routledge. p. 260.ISBN0805834907.
^abBaez, Jillian M. (Winter 2007). "Speaking of Jennifer Lopez: Discourses of Iconicity and Identity Formation Among Latina Audiences".Media Report to Women.35 (1):5–11.
^Pearlman, Cindy (August 14, 1999). "For the record; Very hot and ambitious actress Jennifer Lopez has music on her mind".The Record. Kitchener, Ontario.ISSN0824-5150.
^Garrod, Andrew; Kilkenny, Robert; Gómez, Christina (2007).Mi Voz, Mi Vida/ My Voice, My Life: Latino College Students Tell Their Life Stories.Cornell University Press. p. 179.ISBN978-0801473869.
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