J. Lo's Controversial Hairdo At The 2020 American Music Awards Aged Like Fine Wine

Love her or hate her, we can all agree that Jennifer Lopez can rock just about anything — a naked dress, for example, or an experimental glam. Often, she's praised for having impeccable style, but her soaking wet look at the 2020 American Music Awards (which she hosted) proved rather controversial. At the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Lopez took the stage for a steamy performance with Colombian artist Maluma, wearing a sheer jumpsuit and a slick bob that caused a stir for resembling Beyoncé's 2014 Grammys performance. On the red carpet, she rocked the same hairdo while posing in a silver Balmain set (seen below), featuring a cropped top that showed her abs and a matching skirt with a dangerously high slit on the front. 

Emma Mcintyre /ama2020/Getty

Aside from those accusing her of copying Beyonce, there were also users who thought Lopez's AMAs look simply fell flat. On Instagram, many of them voiced their opinions after the AMAs reposted pictures of Lopez ahead of her performance. "Not a fan of the wet look," one such user snarked. Another noted how the singer seemed to age with the wet bob. A third user agreed with the sentiment, writing under the post, "NO. This does not work."

While initially met with strong reactions, Lopez's 2020 AMAs look seems to have aged well, with users changing their tune over time. "So nice to see her real hair for once. She looks stunning," one Redditor said in a 2026 discussion thread. Others described the look as "sexy" and "fire." However, it seemed that Lopez herself was a fan of the look, as she continued to embrace the wet-hair trend well after the music awards.

Following the 2020 AMAs, celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton posted a step-by-step guide on how to recreate Jennifer Lopez's wet 'do using a few tools and styling products. He suggested starting with wet hair and applying a curl-defining mist before drying it using a blow dryer. After that, Appleton recommended going in with a curling iron on the lowest heat setting to create natural-looking waves. His advice: "Keep the roots [flat] and the ends kind of straight. Just put a bend in the middle" (via TikTok). "Don't go too crazy with creating curls, you just want to create a wave." For the final touch, Appleton said to use lots and lots of hairspray to hold the curls in place and achieve that wet-look effect. 

Atriz, cantora, dançarina e uma grande gostosa. Jennifer Lopez para a GQ Maganize! pic.twitter.com/zuyUuDmtOg

— POPTime (@poptime) November 18, 2019

In 2019, JLo appeared on the cover of GQ magazine's "Men of the Year" issue, sporting her natural curls styled to look slightly damp. In 2024, she also embraced the fresh-out-of-the-shower look while attending Schiaparelli's Spring/Summer show during Paris Fashion Week. "For me, fashion is an expression of who I am right in that moment — so what you're seeing is what I'm influenced by now," Lopez said of her style philosophy in a 2007 Glamour interview. "My hair and makeup people and stylists have changed over the years, but they all know sometimes I want to do Marilyn, and on another day I want to do Jackie O." Although, she adds, "Sometimes I look back and have to say, 'Wow! What were we thinking there?'" As for the wet-hair trend, though, it seems to be one look the "Hustlers" star has no regrets about.