Rumors About Jennifer Lopez That Turned Out To Be True
The stars who burn brightest have to deal with the worst false celebrity gossip, as Jennifer Lopez has discovered throughout her long career in the entertainment industry. The former Fly Girl went from dancing behind Janet Jackson in her "That's the Way Loves Goes" music video to taking center stage in the 1997 biopic "Selena." She then set out to conquer the rom-com and pop music realms and did it simultaneously. While her 2001 movie "The Wedding Planner" topped the box office, her sophomore album, "J.Lo," peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Lopez's ambition and drive earned her a great deal of wealth and success, and with this, came the predictable diva label — as well as gossip concerning her absurd demands. "There was this rumor that I needed white flowers and white linens wherever I went: 'Everything has to be white or she won't go in the room!' That's not true," Lopez told InStyle in 2009. She's also addressed speculation that her butt is insured for an exorbitant sum. When Marie Claire asked her about the rumor in 2010, she let it slip that she closely follows what the gossip mags say about her. "No! Though I thought that story was funny. In fact, we traced that story, and that was a rumor that started in London," she said.
But don't be fooled by the inaccurate tabloid talk — sometimes, there are kernels of truth to be got in the rumors about Jenny from the Block.
When some of Diddy's doves died
Jennifer Lopez and Sean "Diddy" Combs were music's couple of the moment when the "Hustlers" star wore her famously daring Versace dress to the Grammys in 2000. However, Lopez told Vibe (via Entertainment Weekly) that Diddy's infidelity was his undoing. "It was the first time I was with someone who wasn't faithful," she said. "I was in this relationship with Puff where I was totally crying, crazy, and going nuts, it really took my whole life in a tailspin." They were reportedly separated for around six months before Diddy publicly confirmed that they had split in February 2001. Just a month earlier, The Sun (via the New York Post) reported that he had tried to find favor with Lopez by orchestrating a grand romantic gesture: the release of 100 doves. "Jennifer and Puffy always give wonderful gifts to each other," a source said.
On "The Wendy Williams Show," Lopez confirmed that the flight of the snowy-feathered flock really did happen but wouldn't verify that Diddy was behind the stunt. She also revealed that his demonstration of love took a macabre turn. "Halle Berry lived next door to me at the time," she recalled. "A few of [the doves] didn't make it, I guess, and her dogs ... it was a situation. She was like, 'There's doves in my backyard!'" The release of the ill-fated birds was a failure – Diddy remained dumped by Lopez, thus allowing her to squeeze in a marriage to "Love Don't Cost a Thing" backup dancer Cris Judd.
Ashanti's vocals are featured in one of JLo's biggest hits
It was long-rumored that you can hear Ashanti's voice in Jennifer Lopez's 2001 hit "I'm Real (Murder Remix)," a duet with Ja Rule that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks. A year later, Rolling Stone reporter Matt Diehl asked Ashanti about the whispers that she's also featured on the track. The star claimed she'd sung on a demo of the song for Lopez to listen to. However, she was under the impression that her vocals wouldn't be used in the actual recording (via Pop Dirt).
Ashanti addressed the topic again on BlogXilla's "No Judgment Zone" in 2014. "They kept my hook and they kept some of the backgrounds and ad-libs and stuff like that," she said. Ashanti admitted that she'd wanted to record the song herself, so she was upset with producer Irv Gotti over how the situation played out. "I remember being in the studio and being pissed because I was doing all this work and it wasn't for me!" she told ET. "But it was good ... It was just a nice group effort."
In 2022, Ashanti told Metro that people often found it surprising when they learned about her contributions to the song, but she felt like she was finally receiving the acknowledgment she deserved. "It's weird because obviously you get frustrated for not getting credit or not being properly labeled but then that turns into something you get admired for," she said.
The designer wedding dress and strip club mess
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's 2003 wedding ceremony was the talk of the early aughts, and there were all sorts of leaks and rumors about the event, from who would be on the star-studded guest list to where it would take place. But the couple didn't make it to the altar — not yet, anyway. When they announced that they were postponing their nuptials, they released a statement to ABC News that read, "When we found ourselves seriously contemplating hiring three separate 'decoy brides' at three different locations, we realized that something was awry."
We're not sure where each decoy's bridal gown would have come from, but a source told the New York Post (via Pop Dirt) that Vera Wang had designed the real deal. The designer herself confirmed this during a 2008 appearance on "Conversations with Michael Eisner" (via UPI) saying of the gown, "It was really, probably far and away, the most expensive and time-consuming to sew."
There was speculation that the real reason the Bennifer betrothal ended wasn't due to unwanted media attention, but rather Affleck's partying at a strip club. However, a source told USA Today (via People) that Lopez wasn't concerned about what her boo got up to at the Vancouver venue. She later confirmed this to W magazine, saying that she knew that Affleck was going to the club and was cool with it. "What they put in the paper is not what happened, so it doesn't matter," she added.
Jennifer Lopez didn't keep her special gift from Ben Affleck
While Jennifer Lopez swore that her love don't cost a thing, this didn't stop Ben Affleck from showering his future bride with pricey presents fit for a Juicy Couture queen. For Lopez's 33rd birthday in 2003, Hello! reported that Affleck gave her a Rolls Royce Phantom worth around $400,000, as well as a topaz-and-diamond ring with a similar value. The "Armageddon" actor had another special surprise in store for the spoiled birthday girl, later revealing, "I also bought Jen a yo-yo. It has lights inside that go on when it goes up and down." By then, Lopez was already in possession of her dazzling $2.5 million pink diamond engagement ring. And according to Rolling Stone, Affleck also gifted Lopez with a Bentley at some point during their relationship.
After the couple's breakup, a source told The Sun (via Pop Dirt) that Lopez returned the Phantom to the dealership from whence it came, saying, "Jennifer loved that car but it held too many painful memories. Losing the car is the first step to getting closure on the relationship." Another insider told Us Weekly (via ABC News) that Lopez planned on returning her engagement ring for a similar reason. "It's the relationship's death certificate," the source said.
On "The Wendy Williams Show," Lopez confirmed that she gave back the bauble and both vehicles but said nothing about the fate of that awesome glowing yo-yo.
How Jennifer Lopez confirmed pregnancy rumors
In 2004, Jennifer Lopez tied the knot with fellow singer Marc Anthony, and the couple's marriage lasted long enough for the pair to get put on pregnancy watch. In September 2006, The Sun (via the Daily Mail) claimed that Lopez and Anthony's plan to become parents included in vitro fertilization and a lot of leafy greens. "I guess if the spinach doesn't help me conceive, I'll still end up with Popeye-sized muscles," Lopez was quoted as saying.
It wouldn't be until the following year that entertainment outlets would start reporting on the appearance of a possible baby bump. In September 2007, Extra published a photo of the said bump but added that Lopez's rep had denied that the multi-hyphenate was about to become a mom. Those talkative anonymous sources also started their baby blabber, with insiders telling In Touch that Lopez was definitely preggers. Lopez's ex, Cris Judd, even congratulated her before she had publicly confirmed her pregnancy. "She has always wanted to be a mom, so I am very happy for her," he told Us Weekly.
Another source told Page Six that Lopez was planning to make her big baby reveal during a performance at Madison Square Garden. While this didn't happen, Anthony was taken aback one month later when she finally broke their happy news during the couple's "El Cantante Tour" stop in Miami. "I did not expect her to say anything," he told the elated crowd, per People.
JLo fans learned her twins names before they were born
Many times, when gossip mags claim that a celebrity is expecting twins, the stories turn out to be tall tales seemingly designed to generate supermarket checkout line sales. Jennifer Aniston is often a victim of this tabloid trope, with Star and OK! both having published erroneous reports about Aniston being pregnant with twins. The latter even claimed that it got the scoop on her nonexistent babies' names. But shockingly, when Star (via Stuff) reported that Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony were having twins, the tabloid wasn't crying wolf for once — and it even managed to correctly report the monikers that the parents had picked out.
Apparently, Lopez's mother, Guadalupe Rodriguez, accidentally revealed the secret. "The day before J.Lo's baby shower, Guadalupe picked up two gold-rope baby ID bracelets engraved with the names Max and Emme from a jewelers in New York," a source revealed. Further fueling the girl-and-boy twin rumors were reports that pink and blue decorations had been used for Lopez's baby shower at the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York, per Just Jared. Oh, and Lopez's dad just out and spilled the beans on "Escéndalo TV" in February 2008. "The thing is in my family, my sister also had twins, so it's a hereditary thing," he said, per People. About two and a half weeks later, Lopez and Anthony celebrated the arrival of Emme Maribel Muñiz and Maximilian "Max" David Muñiz.
Jenny became a new judge on the block in American Idol
In 2010, "American Idol" got a major shakeup with the departure of judges Ellen DeGeneres, Simon Cowell, and Kara DioGuardi. That July, a source told People that Jennifer Lopez would be filling DeGeneres' empty seat. This was seemingly just a rumor at that time, but a month later, producer Nigel Lythgoe told USA Today that the superstar was indeed one of the top candidates. He viewed her main competition as country star Shania Twain, saying, "I think you would choose either Shania or Jennifer, but I do not think you would have the two on the same panel." He added that his preference was Lopez.
Days later, People reported that Lopez was no longer under consideration, quoting a source as saying, "Her demands got out of hand." According to Deadline, this reporting was only half-accurate and Lopez ultimately landed a seat in front of the "American Idol" stage, along with fellow newcomer Steven Tyler and seasoned vet Randy Jackson. "[Lopez] was angling for an overall deal at Fox, including a put picture, to keep the movie career going. But Fox said no," an insider claimed.
If Lopez really was pushing to get more out of her new gig, it might be because she was afraid of how joining "American Idol" could impact her career. "Everybody was like, 'Don't do this,'" she later told Variety. "'Your career will be over, and they won't offer you any movies. They'll think you're a joke as an artist.'"
ARod and JLo couldn't keep it on the DL
When it comes to Jenny from the Block's love life, the media can't be fooled for very long. In March 2017, a source told Page Six that a romance was brewing between Jennifer Lopez and professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez. "They are really into each other because they have so much in common — from their Latin roots to their love of New York, and their kids," the insider dished. By the end of the month, the couple had been spotted together often enough that the New York Yankees slugger didn't bother trying to deny their relationship when he appeared on "The View" and was asked about his boo. "It's obvious," Rodriguez said. "We've been having a great time." He even spilled what he believed to be a big secret about Lopez — she likes to indulge in cookies and ice cream, and her favorite variety of both is chocolate chip.
In April 2018, Lopez sparked speculation that she was angling for an engagement when she released a song titled "El Anillo" ("The Ring"). Speaking about the track on "The Tonight Show," she confirmed that it applied to her situation, saying, "The song is definitely about that, it is, but I felt like it was kind of something that all women kind of get to a point where they say, 'Okay, what's up?'" But Lopez's not-so-subtle hint didn't immediately work — Rodriguez didn't pop the question until the following March.
Jennifer Lopez's Super Bowl score
In July 2019, Jennifer Lopez made a play to perform on Super Bowl Sunday. She told ET that headlining the 2020 halftime show was especially appealing to her because the big game was going to take place in Miami, one of the cities where she owns property. It was only a matter of weeks before rumors began swirling that Lopez might get the gig, with an insider telling the same outlet that the NFL already considered the "Hustlers" star its MVP. "Jennifer has been saying for a while she wants to perform at the halftime show and it looks like her dream may come true," the source stated.
Lopez had to start fielding more questions about whether she'd negotiated her way into the end zone, confirming on "Today" that she was ready to help the Super Bowl crowd get loud. "It would be an honor to do and it would be a lot of fun. I feel like more than anything, we would have a ball doing it," she said.
In September 2019, she finally scored the job but learned that she'd be tackling it with an assist from co-headliner Shakira. In the documentary "Halftime," Lopez expressed frustration with the time limit this placed on their respective performances, saying, "There's got to be certain songs that we sing, though. We have to have our singing moments ... This is the worst idea in the world to have two people do the Super Bowl," per Billboard.
Alex Rodriguez struck out with Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez's romance with Alex Rodriguez didn't turn out to be the home run she'd hoped for. In March 2021, Page Six claimed that the couple had ended their engagement. The report came not long after "Southern Charm" cast member Madison LeCroy told the same outlet that she'd chatted with Rodriguez on the phone a few times. At that time, Rodriguez and Lopez denied that they had split, but they did indicate that their relationship wasn't exactly rosy when they told TMZ, "We are working through some things."
A month later, the athlete and the entertainer revealed that their efforts to restore their relationship to its former blissful state had failed. In a statement, the exes told Today, "We have realized we are better as friends and look forward to remaining so. We will continue to work together and support each other on our shared businesses and projects. We wish the best for each other and one another's children."
As for what went wrong, one source told People that Lopez started finding it difficult to trust Rodriguez. "Whether or not he has cheated doesn't matter," the insider stated. "She won't tolerate the fear of it in the air between them." Another insider told E! News that Lopez had no regrets about her decision to dump A-Rod, who was purportedly holding out hope that she would give him another chance. Instead, someone else from her past got that second shot at winning Lopez's love.
The O.G. Ben and Jen made a comeback
In 2021, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez expunged "Gigli" from their records by living out an epic real-life rom-com that no movie about wedding planners or shotgun nuptials could ever rival. That April, Page Six spoke to sources who claimed that Affleck was visiting his ex at her residence in Los Angeles and trying to keep "Bennifer 2: Electric Boogaloo" from becoming public knowledge, presumably because of how things played out the first time around. "Security picks him up at a nearby location and drops him off after spending a few hours at her house," an insider said of the pair's romantic rendezvous. The following month, the Daily Mail published photos of Affleck and Lopez vacationing in Montana.
The couple got a redux red carpet debut at the Venice Film Festival in September 2021, and Affleck also got the opportunity to plan another romantic proposal. In April 2022, Lopez shared details of how he popped the question in her "On the JLo" newsletter, revealing that she was enjoying a relaxing bubble bath at the time. "Just a quiet Saturday night at home, two people promising to always be there for each other," she wrote (via E! News!). "Two very lucky people who got a second chance at true love." This time around, the couple made it to the altar not once, but twice, eloping in Las Vegas in July 2022 before having a more extravagant wedding in Georgia the following month.
JLo's mom was always on Team Bennifer
When Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck got back together, TMZ reported that the "Good Will Hunting" star made the first move to reignite their old flame. In February 2022, he purportedly began emailing his ex, and his missives were romantic in nature. A decade earlier, Affleck had told The Hollywood Reporter that he used email to stay in contact with Lopez. However, at that time, he was just being a supportive friend. He shared an example of the types of messages he was sending her, saying, "I remember when she got 'American Idol.' I said, 'This was really smart. Good luck."
So we've established that Lopez and Affleck were email pals. And if Us Weekly is to be believed, Lopez's mom, Guadalupe Rodriguez, also knew Affleck's email address. She reportedly made use of it when Lopez and Marc Anthony were experiencing marital issues. "Guadalupe reached out to Ben over email. She wanted advice for Jennifer," a source said. "She always liked and trusted him. [Ben] replied back on email, wished her well, and offered what he could."
As of this writing, there's been no confirmation from the parties involved that this exchange took place, but after Bennifer tied the knot, "The View" co-host Sunny Hostin said, "I've spoken to [Lopez's] mother, Lupe, about it. Lupe has always said that Ben is her true love." Affleck returned the love by casting Lopez's mom in an ad he directed for the WynnBET app in 2021 — just before the couple's romantic reunion was confirmed.
Jennifer Lopez could have kissed Madonna and Britney
That famous kiss between Madonna, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera at the 2003 MTV VMAs could have looked a lot different. During a KTU 103.5 interview (via Billboard), Pink claimed that she and Gwen Stefani had also been asked to participate in the mock wedding. "I think Madonna wanted to kiss all of us," she quipped. Apparently, she wasn't lying. Legend had it that Jennifer Lopez had also been approached about locking lips with the "Like a Virgin" singer. In 2012, MTV exec Van Toffler told Entertainment Weekly, "It was a long road to get to that Britney and Christina kiss because they weren't necessarily the first couple of people who were on the hit list. This may be the first time it's revealed, but originally JLo was in the mix."
Lopez confirmed this over a decade later in an interview with E! News. The "Shotgun Wedding" star indicated that she was ready to play a role in the stunt and even met with Madonna and Spears at the Material Girl's house. Unfortunately, filming obligations prevented her from being a part of the unforgettable pop culture moment. "I didn't wind up doing it, but yeah, we had talked about it," she said. "I love Madonna, I'm a huge fan, I always have been."
But who needs an iconic kiss when you can boast about wearing one of the most memorable red-carpet dresses ever and living out Hollywood's best love story?