Love, Fame, And Fortune: The Life Of Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez is an icon. She catapulted to fame as a musical artist and actress simultaneously and has broken several records throughout her 30-year career. Now 50-years-old, she’s a mom of two and engaged to former MLB star Alex Rodriguez. Lopez has previously been married three times, including one that lasted just nine months but ended up costing her $6.6 in the divorce settlement. Her ex-husband isn’t the only one who is after a piece of Lopez’s $400 net worth. She’s being sued for posting a photo on Instagram… of herself.
From Gigli To Heartbreak To A Few Days In Montana
In 2021, the world was taken by storm as one of the favorite couples from the early 2000s reconciled. Yes, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck began sparking rumors about getting back together. How did these rumors start?
Well, the two left the comforts of their respective Los Angeles homes and went on a mini-vacation together to Montana. And the spontaneous multi-day trip was after the two were seen together in front of JLo’s Los Angeles residence weeks before. And this after the two broke off their engagement in 2004.
Sources Have A Lot To Say About Ben & Jen
While Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez have been sparking multiple rumors about their rekindling romance, sources aren’t helping dim the internet frenzy. One source told People, “[Jennifer] spent several days with Ben out of town. They have a strong connection. It’s all been quick and intense, but Jennifer is happy.”
It has been very quick; as many people will remember, JLo recently broke off her engagement to former professional Baseball player Alex Rodriguez. Including her “Bennifer” days, this is the second engagement JLo walked away from.
Ben And Jen Seemingly Flirted Over Interview Questions
Even before Ben and Jen left on their whirlwind trip to Montana, the two mentioned one another during respective interviews with InStyle. It started when Ben mentioned JLo’s ageless beauty, saying, “Why do you look the same as you did in 2003, and it kind of looks like I’m in my 40s … at best?”
Later, JLo responded to Affleck’s comment, telling InStyle, “I don’t have any [beauty] secrets except JLo Beauty — and I’m giving them all to everyone with every product. Ben is funny! He still looks pretty good too.”
She Said Affleck Was Her “First Real Heartbreak”
Lopez has had many relationships, but her relationship with actor and producer Ben Affleck was the most-publicized. They were the hottest couple in Hollywood in 2002, as the media was enamored with ‘Bennifer’. Affleck proposed with a huge pink diamond ring but soon, the couple split.
Lopez calls her break-up with Affleck her “first real heartbreak.” Although they fell hard for each other, their lifestyles were very different– Affleck liked to party and Lopez is a workaholic. Soon after, she paired up with her long-time friend, Marc Anthony.
Her 10-Year Marriage to Marc Anthony Ended in Divorce
Lopez had been married a few times, but when she married Marc Anthony, she thought it would last. The couple was married for ten years, and she was devastated when things fell apart. Lopez told Hola! of the couple’s divorce, “I just felt like, when we got divorced, it was the lowest time in my life, I felt like I had failed miserably and that I wasn’t going to give my kids what they needed.”
They announced their plans to divorce in 2011 and on April 8, 2012, Anthony filed. However, they make a huge effort to co-parent their twins together and regularly attend events together.
She Made Millions as a Judge on American Idol
On September 22, 2010, it was announced that Lopez would be a judge on the hit TV series American Idol, alongside Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. Upon joining the show, Lopez adjusted her image. Viewers noticed that she presented herself as more mature and it helped boost her popularity after a few rough years.
Lopez acted as an American Idol judge for three seasons, earning a reported $12 million each season according to Billboard.
She’s the First Woman to Have A Number One Album and Film in the Same Week
In June 1999, Lopez released her first album, “On The 6”. In just two weeks, the album went platinum. Lopez was breaking into the music industry as the Latin pop movement gained momentum in the U.S. with artists like Shakira, Christina Aguilera, Ricky Martin, and Enrique Iglesias
In 2001, she released her second studio album, J.Lo, which hit number one. The album was released the same week as the romantic comedy The Wedding Planner. The film reached number one at the box office, making Lopez the first woman to have a number one album and film in the same week.
She Was Sued for Posting a Photo of Herself on Instagram
A mega-millionaire, Lopez has run into legal issues a number of times. In 2019, she was sued for $150,000 for posting a photo of herself on Instagram. Steve Sands, a photographer from New York sued Lopez and her production company, Nuyorican Productions, for copyright infringement.
Splash News and Picture Agency sued Lopez for the photo of her and then-boyfriend Alex Rodriguez holding hands in New York. She posted the photo in 2017 and was ordered to take it down. She’s also been sued for a whopping $40 million by the woman who was the inspiration for Lopez’s character Ramona in Hustlers.
In Just One Year She Became The Highest-Paid Latin Actress
Lopez’s first appearance in a feature film was in 1986, in My Little Girl. Beginning in 1990, she appeared as a “Fly Girl” dancer on In Living Color. The show inspired her to further pursue a career in acting. Lopez proved her talent for acting in 1997, playing the title character in the biopic Selena. She was nominated for a Golden Globe and became the first Latin actress to earn $1 million in a film. By 1998 she was the highest-paid Latin actress.
While juggling her music career, Lopez starred in a live television version of Bye Bye Birdie, playing one of the lead characters, Rosie Alvarez. She also starred in Anaconda (1997), Out of Sight (1998), The Wedding Planner (2001), Maid in Manhattan (2002), Shall We Dance? (2004) and Monster-In-Law (2005).
Her Mom Won $2.4 Million at an Atlantic City Casino
While playing the slot machines at an Atlantic City casino, Lopez’s mother Guadalupe won $2.4 million. It happened in 2004, when Lopez had already become a big star. Lopez told Mirror, “She started screaming at the top of her lungs. Crazy. And I was like, ‘What?’ On the slots of all things.”
Lopez said that she’s not a gambler, but her mother has always loved it. It looks like her mother won’t need any help from her daughter, as she’s a millionaire, too.
Lopez Has An Incredible Net Worth
Lopez’s career started over 30 years ago and she’s come a long way. She’s recognized for both her acting and music career, selling over 80 million records to earn a reported $95 million from her music career, according to Fox Business.
She’s making millions with each film’s release and her Las Vegas residency brought in a reported $100 million. Lopez has also earned $10 million for producing and a reported $80 million from her five tours. This brings her net worth to an estimated $400 million.
She’s Engaged To Alex Rodriguez
On March 9, 2019, after two years of dating, Lopez and Rodriguez announced on Instagram that they were engaged. The power couple first met at a New York Yankees baseball game, but Lopez was married to Marc Anthony at the time, and Rodriguez was married to his first wife, Cynthia Scurtis.
Twelve years later, both single with kids, Lopez and Rodriguez began dating and made their red carpet (and Instagram) debut at the 2017 Met Gala.
After A Postponed Wedding, JLo And A-Rod Broke Up
In 2017, Jennifer Lopez and former professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez were spotted together. Soon after, they announced their relationship status: couple. A few years later, in 2019, their engagement was announced. And the two looked like a Hollywood A-lister couple that was going to go the distance.
They didn’t. After a postponed wedding in 2020 and circulating rumors about A-Rod and a certain reality star, the two officially called off their engagement in 2021, releasing a joint statement about how they realized they’re “better off as friends.”
More Kids On The Way?
After four years of marriage, Lopez and Anthony welcomed twins Emme and Max in February 2008. Lopez told People, “I had given birth and the kids honestly just gave me a new direction. They just made me realize what was real and what wasn’t real, and they just changed everything.”
She also said she would like to have more kids in the future, hinting at the possibility that she and Rodriguez might have a child together.
Her Marriage to Ojani Noa Was Rocky and the Aftermath Was Worse
Ojani Noa was Lopez’s first husband, who she met when he was a waiter. They got married in 1997 and divorced the following year. It was clear he was out for her fame and fortune.
After their divorce, Noa reportedly tried to profit from home videos of Lopez. He also reportedly shopped around a tell-all book. In August 2007, Lopez won a breach-of-contract lawsuit against Noa, collecting $500,000. Two years later on November 6, 2009, she filed a lawsuit against him.
Honey, You’re A Meme!
During the 2023 Grammy Awards, Jennifer Lopez and her husband, Ben Affleck, were in attendance and made quite the spark, thanks to Affleck’s less-than-enthused look. In photos that surfaced, Affleck looks like he wished he were anywhere but watching the show with his wife.
What should have been a fun date night for the parents turned into meme central for the internet, and JLo knew it, too. During the ceremony, the seat filler next to the two stars overheard their conversation, stating, “JLo showed Ben Affleck the phone and was like ‘Oh my god, honey, look at this meme circulating about you.”
She Wowed At The Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show
In 2020, Lopez and Shakira put on an incredible performance the Super Bowl LIV halftime show in Miami. Both known for their dancing skills, the ladies put on a high-energy performance with multiple costume changes.
Critics were amazed by the incredible shape Lopez showed that she was in at 50-years-old. Her daughter Emme Maribel Muñiz even got a chance to perform with her mom, proving that she’s a star in the making.
She Grew Up In New York With Two Sisters
Both of Lopez’s parents were born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and moved to Bronx, New York where Jennifer was born. She grew up in New York with her two sisters, Leslie and Lynda, and attended an all-girls catholic school.
She excelled at her singing and dancing lessons and her parents encouraged her and her sisters to practice and perform at home. Lopez also took gymnastics and played softball, proving to be a strong athlete, too.
Jennifer’s Marriage to Cris Judd Didn’t Last Long
Lopez was married to choreographer and dancer Cris Judd for just nine months. The two met on the set of Lopez’s video shoot for “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” in 2000. Ironically, when their marriage ended in divorce in 2002, it cost her $6.6 million.
Both Lopez and Judd say they don’t keep in touch, and in interviews, Lopez dismisses the marriage and says it doesn’t really count in her head.
She Had A High-Profile Relationship With Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs
Lopez and Sean “Diddy” Combs dated from 1999 until 2001. Of their time together, Lopez told CBS in a 2020 interview, “It was crazy. The Puffy era was sort of like a crazy heightened time in my life. Puffy and I both grew up in the Bronx.”
She continued, “We had this kinda crazy, tumultuous relationship that ended in a bang, let’s say,” referring to the nightclub shooting that led to both of them getting arrested.
She Was Arrested With Sean “Diddy” Combs
For the most part, Lopez’s arrest has slipped under the radar. It happened in December 1999, while dating Sean “Diddy” Combs. The couple was at a New York City nightclub called Hot Chocolate when Diddy got in a heated debate and gunshots were fired. It left three people injured and authorities believed the shots came from someone in Combs’ group.
Lopez was released and cleared from wrongdoing, however, it led to their breakup. Diddy was devastated, as he said Lopez was the first woman that he ever fell madly in love with.
She Released an Album in Spanish
On April 3, 2007, Lopez released her first Spanish language album, titled “Como Ama Una Mujer.” The album broke the record for the highest sales in the first week of its release for a Spanish album in the U.S.
It was produced by Epic Records with the help of Latin artist Marc Anthony, who she was married to at the time. The album was entirely comprised of ballads– mostly love songs. Although the album sales were impressive, critics gave mixed reviews, as many of them thought all of the ballads made the album too serious.
The Infamous Green Dress
Jennifer Lopez became the hottest topic after wearing a green jungle Versace dress to the 2000 Grammy Awards. The plunging neckline and bareback became one of the most iconic fashion statements of the decade.
She was dating Sean “Diddy” Combs at the time, who she walked the red carpet with. It wasn’t until the day of the event that she selected the dress, offered by stylist Andrea Lieberman. Lopez later told Vogue, “In terms of my career, this dress really marked a moment in time.”
She Started Her Own Dance Competition Show
On May 30, 2017, Lopez’s dance competition show World of Dance premiered on NBC. Lopez played a huge part in the show, acting as a judge and as an executive producer. Contestants of the dance competition have a chance to win $1 million.
Approved for a fourth season, the show has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award five times, and won once, for Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming. Incredibly popular around the world, videos of the show have racked up over 1 billion views online.
J.Lo and Ben Affleck Dated and Made a Film That Bombed
Just months after divorcing Cris Judd, Lopez began dating actor Ben Affleck. The media had a frenzy with their relationship, referring to the couple as “Bennifer” and quickly making them one of the most popular couples of 2002. They quickly became engaged in November 2002 and starred in a film together, Gigli.
The romantic comedy was one of the most expensive box office failures in history and is considered one of the worst films of all time, grossing $7.2 million while it cost a whopping $75.6 million to make.
