Jennifer Lopez is an acclaimed actor, a global pop star, and an accomplished producer. During her decades of stardom she’s made countless headlines, often related to what’s happening in her romantic life. Her relationship with Ben Affleck is one big reason fro this, and the “Let’s Get Loud” singe recently opened up about how she handles all the public scrutiny.
Lopez and Affleck’s divorce broke the internet, especially since fans were rooting for their reunion. She’s balanced that attention on her personal life with passion projects such as Kiss of the Spider Woman (which hits theaters today). While speaking with ET to promote the movie musical, she addressed the way she’s deal with criticism over her time as a household name. In her words:
I have been doing this a long time, and I know what’s important. And I know who I am. People are always going to say things about you. They’re gonna speculate. They’ll be like ‘Oh I love her when- in this moment.’ And then ‘Oh my god! She’s like this.’ They get confused, they don’t know what’s real. I know what’s real. So it’s easier for me.
That really sounds like a healthy perspective. While many people dream of fame, the reality of it is complicated. JLo has had megafame thanks to her acting and music success, and has unfortunately seen the way certain fans have come and gone throughout the years. The public’s perception of her might be ever-changing, but she’s luckily got a strong sense of self.
Even by celebrity standards, Jennifer Lopez has had an incredible amount of scrutiny on both her professional and personal life. For instance, Lopez faced criticism when starting her cocktail brand Delola after previous comments about not drinking. In her same interview, the “Get Right” singer shared more about how she’s dealt with the constant chatter, saying:
I know I’m a good person. I know I’m a great mom. I know that I work hard at what I do. I have learned to accept and kind of embrace that I’m good at what I do, despite what people say. Those are the things you really have to just know who you are.
Listening to negative discourse about her as a person or performer would be understandable for a person of Lopez’s fame. But it sounds like she’s giving herself grace and positive self-talk, and standing in the truth of her life. She also mentioned being secure about her multitalents, despite setbacks like being snubbed for an Oscar nom after Hustlers.
While fans are used to Lopez making headlines over her romantic relationships, she actually brought up another important relationship she has: her parents. As the Selena actress went on to say:
I’ve luckily had a mom and dad who instilled in me a great sense of love and a great sense of acceptance. Being in the public eye, which can be brutal as you know, you have to really shut all of that stuff out and just do what you do. And I love what I do so that’s the blessing.
No matter how many accolades one receives, many of us still need the love and support from our family. And for Jennifer Lopez, it sounds like her parents in particular helped her to form the strong sense of self that’s buoyed her amidst constant chatter from the public. Talk about a heartwarming way to look at a challenging aspect of her fame.
Lopez’s many talents are on full display for the movie musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, which is in theaters now as part of the 2025 movie release list. Her performance got a standing ovation at Sundance, and there’s already chatter about her being a contender for this year’s Awards Season.