Jennifer Lopez

For other uses, see Jennifer Lopez (disambiguation).

"J.Lo" and "JLO" redirect here. For the album, see J.Lo (album). For other uses, see JLO (disambiguation).

Jennifer Lopez
Lopez in 2021
Born	Jennifer Lynn Lopez (1969-07-24) July 24, 1969 New York City, U.S.
Other names	J.Lo Jennifer Affleck
Occupations	Singer actress dancer businesswoman
Years active	1986–present
Works	Discography songs recorded videography filmography performances
Spouses	Ojani Noa ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 1998)​ Cris Judd ​ ​ (m. 2001; div. 2003)​ Marc Anthony ​ ​ (m. 2004; div. 2014)​ Ben Affleck ​ (m. 2022)​
Partner	Sean Combs (1999–2001)
Children	2
Relatives	Lynda Lopez (sister)
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Genres	Pop R&B Latin hip hop dance
Instrument	Vocals
Labels	Work Epic Island Capitol Hitco BMG
Website	jenniferlopez.com
Signature

Jennifer Lynn Affleck (née Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. With a career spanning four decades, Lopez is regarded as a pop icon and one of the most influential entertainers in the world. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, she was credited with helping propel the Latin pop movement in American music and paving the way for increased representation of Latino Americans in Hollywood.

Lopez began her career as a dancer, making her television debut as a Fly Girl on the sketch comedy television series In Living Color in 1991. After deciding to pursue an acting career, she rose to prominence with her leading roles in the films Selena (1997), Anaconda (1997) and Out of Sight (1998), which established her as the highest-paid Latin actress. She ventured into the music industry with her debut studio album, On the 6 (1999). With the release of her second studio album J.Lo and her romantic comedy The Wedding Planner in 2001, she became the first woman to simultaneously have the number one album and film in the United States. She has since become known for starring in romantic comedies, including Maid in Manhattan (2002), Shall We Dance? (2004), and Monster-in-Law (2005).

Lopez released two albums in 2002: J to tha L–O! The Remixes and This Is Me... Then, the former of which became the first remix album in history to debut atop the US Billboard 200. Media scrutiny surrounding her personal life and the failure of her film Gigli (2003) preceded a downturn in her career. Her subsequent albums included Rebirth (2005) and Como Ama una Mujer (2007), the latter of which had the highest first-week sales for a debut Spanish album in the United States. In 2011, Lopez returned to prominence with her role as a judge on American Idol, and released her seventh studio album, Love?. From 2016 to 2018, she performed a concert residency, Jennifer Lopez: All I Have, and starred in the police drama series Shades of Blue. She later served as a judge on World of Dance (2017–2020) and garnered critical praise for her role as a stripper in the crime drama Hustlers (2019). Lopez's ninth studio album This Is Me... Now and a companion musical film were released in 2024.

With over 80 million records sold, Lopez's most successful singles include: "If You Had My Love", "Waiting for Tonight", "Love Don't Cost a Thing", "I'm Real", "Ain't It Funny", "Jenny from the Block", "All I Have", "Get Right" and "On the Floor". Her numerous accolades include a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Billboard Icon Award and the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. In 2012, Forbes ranked her the world's most powerful celebrity, and the 38th most powerful woman in the world. Time listed her among their 100 most influential people in the world in 2018. Her other ventures include beauty and clothing lines, fragrances, a production company and a charitable foundation.

Early life

Jennifer Lynn López was born on July 24, 1969, in the Bronx, a borough of New York City, and raised in its Castle Hill neighborhood. Her parents, David López and Guadalupe Rodríguez, were born in Puerto Rico and met in New York City. After serving in the army, David worked as a computer technician at Guardian Insurance Company. Guadalupe was a homemaker for the first ten years of López's life and later worked as a Tupperware salesperson and a kindergarten and gym teacher. They divorced in the 1990s after 33 years of marriage.

Lopez is a middle child; she has an older sister, Leslie, and a younger sister, Lynda. The three shared a bedroom. Lopez has described her upbringing as "strict". She was raised in a Roman Catholic family; she attended Mass every Sunday and received a Catholic education, attending Holy Family School and the all-girls Preston High School. In school, López ran track on a national level, participated in gymnastics and was on the softball team. She danced in school musicals and played a lead role in a production of Godspell.

There was "lots of music" in the typically Puerto Rican household, and López and her sisters were encouraged to sing, dance and create their own plays for family events. West Side Story made a particular impression on the young López and she wanted to be an entertainer from an early age. As a teenager, she learned flamenco, jazz and ballet at the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club and taught dance to younger students, including Kerry Washington. After graduating from high school, she had a part-time secretarial job at a law firm and studied business at New York's Baruch College for one semester. 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. Her parents were unhappy with her decision to leave college to pursue a dance career. Her mother asked her to move out of the family home and they stopped speaking for eight months. López moved to Manhattan, sleeping in the dance studio's office for the first few months.

Career

1989–1996: Professional dancing and early acting roles

López's first professional job came in 1989 when she spent five months touring Europe with the musical revue show Golden Musicals of Broadway. She was the only member of the chorus not to have a solo and later characterized it as a pivotal moment where she realized the importance of a "tough skin" in the entertainment business. In 1990, she danced alongside MC Hammer in an episode of Yo! MTV Raps and traveled around Japan for four months as a chorus member in Synchronicity. When she returned to the United States, she was hired as a backup dancer for New Kids on the Block's performance of "Games" at the 1991 American Music Awards. She also traveled around America with regional productions of the musicals Jesus Christ Superstar and Oklahoma! During this period, Lopez also danced in music videos including Doug E. Fresh's "Summertime", Richard Rogers' "Can't Stop Loving You", EPMD's "Rampage" and Samantha Fox's "(Hurt Me! Hurt Me!) But the Pants Stay On".

López's most high-profile job as a professional dancer was as a Fly Girl jazz-funk dancer on the sketch comedy television series In Living Color. At the New York audition, the show's choreographer, Rosie Perez, noticed that Lopez had "star quality" and "did not complain, not once" when asked to repeatedly perform the dance routine. López moved to Los Angeles in late 1991 for the job; she filmed In Living Color during the day and attended acting classes taught by Aaron Speiser at night. The head of Virgin Records considered signing The Fly Girls as a girl group to rival the Spice Girls, but the deal fell apart. After appearing as a Fly Girl in seasons three and four of In Living Color, López left to work as a backup dancer for Janet Jackson, and appeared in the music video for "That's the Way Love Goes". She was scheduled to tour with Jackson on her Janet World Tour in late 1993 but opted to pursue an acting career instead.

López's first professional acting job was a small recurring role on the television show South 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-scenes In Living Color segment. López then acquired an agent and was cast in the CBS show Second Chances and its spin-off Hotel Malibu. She appeared in the direct-to-video drama film Lost in the Wild (1993). For her first major movie role, in Gregory Nava's 1995 drama Mi Familia, López received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress. Lopez then starred in the action comedy Money Train (1995). Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said she "mostly holds her own" with co-stars Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson, while Stephen Holden of The New York Times praised her "scene-stealing charm". In 1996, Lopez had a supporting role opposite Robin Williams in the comedy Jack. She next starred opposite Jack Nicholson in the neo-noir thriller Blood and Wine (1996). David Rooney of Variety felt López delivered in "juggling" the "smoldering and soulful sides" of the character but Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly said she was "used as a place marker rather than as a real girl."

1997–1999: Breakthrough in film and music

With her casting as the singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez in the biopic Selena (1997), López became the first Latina actress to earn $1 million. She was excited by the rare opportunity to "actually star" in a movie "in the title role" but expressed disappointment that other Latina actors were not being afforded the same opportunities. Despite having previously worked with the film's director Gregory Nava on Mi Familia, López participated in an intense auditioning process and spent time with the late singer's family in Corpus Christi, Texas before filming began. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times described it as "a star-making performance" and particularly enjoyed the onstage scenes: "She has the star presence to look convincing in front of 100,000 fans." Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times praised the "incandescent" performance. López received her first Golden Globe nomination for the performance. The director later said he asked the heads of Warner Bros. to fund an Academy Award campaign for López but was told the academy would "never nominate a Latina." Later in 1997, López starred opposite Ice Cube in the horror film Anaconda. While Joe Leydon of Variety found Anaconda "silly", he said the film deserved "a little credit" for being "the first movie of its kind to have a Latina and an African-American" as its stars. In the crime film U Turn (1997), López appeared topless in a sex scene that was added by director Oliver Stone during filming. Speaking in 2003, López 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 ... But it actually worked in the movie."

López starred opposite George Clooney in the crime caper Out of Sight (1998), Steven Soderbergh's adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel of the same name. Cast as a deputy federal marshal who falls for a charming criminal, López won rave reviews for her performance. Janet Maslin of The 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." Turan of the Los Angeles Times described López 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." In 2021, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian named Lopez and Clooney's partnership as one of the best examples of on-screen chemistry in cinema history. Also in 1998, Lopez provided the voice of Azteca in the animated film Antz.

Lopez decided to pursue a music career after working on Selena, realizing that she had missed "the excitement of the stage" and was "really feeling [her] Latin roots". Her new manager Benny Medina sought to position her as "a brand name that will cross over into all media." Lopez recorded a Spanish-language demo for circulation among prospective labels. Tommy Mottola, the head of Sony Music's Work Group, signed her but suggested that she sing in English instead. Her debut album On the 6 (1999), named after the 6 Subway line which connected her childhood home in the Bronx to Manhattan, was met with positive reviews and further propelled her public profile. 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, with another single, "Waiting for Tonight", reaching number eight and becoming a celebratory anthem for the new millenium. 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 husband Marc Anthony.

2000–2002: International success

In February 2000, Lopez and then-boyfriend Sean Combs attended the Grammy Awards, with Lopez wearing a plunging green Versace silk chiffon dress. The dress generated worldwide attention and became the most popular search query in Google's history, leading to the creation of Google Images, while boosting Lopez's album and movie ticket sales. Later that year, Lopez starred in the psychological thriller The Cell. David Edelstein of Slate remarked that the "imperious" Lopez was "trying to look waifishly expectant" while Amy Taubin of The Village Voice noted that she appeared to be engaged "in some kind of pouting competition" "in lieu of acting."

Lopez became the first woman to have a number one film and album simultaneously when, in early 2001, the romantic comedy The Wedding Planner, co-starring Matthew McConaughey, and her sophomore album J.Lo were released in the same week. In a review of The Wedding Planner, Bob Graham of the San Francisco Chronicle remarked that, while there was "no doubt of Lopez's screen poise or acting chops", she should choose comedic projects with "more bite." Jessica Winter of The Village Voice found her "bewilderingly miscast" as a "buttoned down, celibate" woman, writing that the movie "achieves the dubious but perversely impressive feat, for its 90-minute duration, of neutering Jennifer Lopez." The album J.Lo received mixed reviews. Jon Pareles of Rolling Stone was unimpressed by her "merely adequate, studio-assisted voice". J.Lo became her best-selling album and took her career to new heights. It included the singles "Love Don't Cost a Thing", which reached number one in various countries, and "I'm Real" featuring Ja Rule, which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100. In other 2001 work, Lopez launched her first business venture, the clothing line J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez, and starred opposite Jim Caviezel in the romantic drama Angel Eyes. Lopez's performance was well-reviewed, with Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle describing her as "an actress who can do things other movie stars can't do. She doesn't push, just thinks, and her thoughts and emotions burn into the film."

Lopez released two albums in 2002. The first was a remix album, J to tha L–O! The Remixes, which featured collaborations with Ja Rule, 50 Cent, Fat Joe and P Diddy. It became the first remix album in history to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, with its lead single Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)" reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It also produced the top ten hit "I'm Gonna Be Alright". Lopez's third studio album, This Is Me... Then, was released in late 2002. Jon Caramanica of The Village Voice was unimpressed by her studio-enhanced vocals and expressed bemusement as to how the "mega-millionaire Bronx-expat public-fantasy bombshell" was "making the least interesting music on the pop charts today." The album had the highest opening sales of Lopez's career. The album's lead single "Jenny from the Block", peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 while its second single, "All I Have", reached number one. In 2002 business ventures, Lopez opened Madre's, a Los Angeles restaurant serving Latin cuisine, and released her first fragrance, Glow by JLo. It became the top-selling fragrance in the US, and Lopez ultimately released over 18 fragrances as part of a licensing deal with Coty.

Lopez starred as an abused wife seeking revenge in the thriller Enough (2002). An overworked Lopez suffered a nervous breakdown in 2001 while filming it. Upon its release in 2002, Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times was unimpressed by the "tacky material" and was surprised to see "an actress like Jennifer Lopez" involved with the project. Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club said "the film's idiocy works for Lopez: Every diva needs at least one camp classic on her résumé". The romantic comedy Maid in Manhattan (2002), in which Lopez starred opposite Ralph Fiennes, became the highest-grossing film of her career. Reviewing Maid in Manhattan, A. O. Scott of The 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."

2003–2009: Media scrutiny and career downturn

Lopez arriving at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2004

Lopez became the subject of widespread media criticism in 2003 due to her public relationship with Affleck and the tabloid depiction of her as a demanding diva. The Guardian published an article exploring her "bilious" media coverage, with journalist Lawrence Donegan positing that "indefensible" misogyny and racism were to blame for her position as "the most vilified woman in modern popular culture". Lopez 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.

Lopez starred opposite Affleck in the romantic comedy Gigli (2003), which was a box-office bomb and is considered one of the worst films of all time. Rex Reed of The Observer criticized the lead actors, writing that the film reminds the world how "pathetically incompetent they both are in the only two things that matter in career longevity - craft and talent." Roger Ebert agreed that the movie "doesn't quite work", but found Lopez and Affleck "appealing in their performances" and noted that they "have chemistry" together. Lopez had a minor role opposite Affleck in the film Jersey Girl (2004). Following test audiences' negative reactions to the onscreen couple, Lopez's screen time was halved. Lopez later described this as the lowest point of her career and admitted she felt "eviscerated" by the media coverage surrounding Gigli: "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." She became the face of a Louis Vuitton advertising campaign, launched her second fashion label, Sweetface, and starred opposite Richard Gere in the romantic comedy-drama Shall We Dance?, which was a box-office success.

The marketing for the romantic comedy Monster-in-Law (2005), in which Lopez starred opposite Jane Fonda, played up her "Gigli-and-tabloid tarnished image", and it became a box office success. She released her fourth studio album, Rebirth, in early 2005. 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 singer Marc Anthony] ... I wasn't with Benny [Medina]." Alexis Petridis of The Guardian remarked that the album 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?" While the album reached number two on the Billboard 200 and its lead single "Get Right" charted at number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100, the second and final single "Hold You Down" peaked at number 64. She returned the Billboard Hot 100 the following year, at number four, when she was a featured artist on "Control Myself", the lead single from LL Cool J's twelfth studio album.

Lopez's next three movie projects were box office failures. She starred alongside Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman in the drama An Unfinished Life (2005). Ebert of the Chicago 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." In 2006, she reunited with Gregory Nava, the director of both Mi Familia and Selena, to star in the crime drama Bordertown as a journalist investigating female homicides in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The film was negatively reviewed and received a direct-to-video release. David D'Arcy of Screen Daily found Lopez "unconvincing" as a journalist. In 2007, she starred opposite her then-husband Marc Anthony in the music biopic El Cantante, which told the story of Puerto Rican salsa singer Héctor Lavoe and his wife Puchi. It did not perform well at the box office and received mixed reviews from film critics. Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle considered it her "most mannered, least relaxed and least convincing performance to date". Lopez later expressed particular pride in her work in the film.

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. Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly acknowledged that the album offered "fairly persuasive proof" that Lopez can sing, but was unimpressed by the "flaccid torch songs." It reached number 10 on the Billboard 200; the lead single "Qué Hiciste" reached number 86 on the Billboard 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. Jonathan Bernstein of Entertainment Weekly was disappointed that Lopez had returned to "listless vocals" for her "back-to-the-dance-floor album." The album debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200 and produced two singles, "Do It Well" and "Hold It Don't Drop It". The first peaked at number 31 on the Billboard 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. She also created, produced and was featured in the MTV show DanceLife.

After giving birth to twins in February 2008, Lopez took a career break. Her restaurant Madre's closed permanently, as did her two fashion lines. After rehiring former manager Medina, 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 the Billboard charts, leading to her departure from Sony Music and Epic Records.

2010–2015: American Idol and career rejuvenation

Lopez's first theatrical role in three years was in the romantic comedy The Back-up Plan (2010). Manohla Dargis of The 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." That year, a "big turning point" in Lopez's career came when she joined the judging panel of the singing competition series American Idol for its tenth season, replacing Simon Cowell. She accepted the job at a time when she was "not getting offered a whole bunch of movies" and the show returned her to prominence. Hannah Elliot of Forbes described it as "a remarkable comeback": "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." She returned as a judge for the eleventh season, earning a reported $20 million, and again for the thirteenth season, earning a reported $17.5 million. Around the time of her debut on American Idol, Lopez became a brand ambassador for L'Oréal, Venus and Fiat, and launched the Jennifer Lopez Collection, a clothing and homeware line with Tommy Hilfiger for Kohl's.

Lopez performing during her Dance Again World Tour in Paris, France in 2012

After signing a new recording contract with Island Records, Lopez's seventh studio album, Love?, was released in early 2011. While the album itself was a moderate commercial success, the single "On the Floor" was one of the year's most successful songs. It reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her highest-charting single as a lead artist since "All I Have". Lopez's greatest hits album, Dance Again... the Hits, was released in mid-2012 to fulfil her contractual obligations with her former label Epic Records. 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". "Dance Again" reached number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Lopez launched the Dance Again World Tour, her first headlining concert tour, in mid-2012. It grossed over $1 million per show. Also that year, she launched Teeology, a luxury T-shirt brand.

Lopez returned to the big screen in 2012, starring alongside an ensemble cast in the film What to Expect When You're Expecting, which is based on the book of the same name. Lopez voiced Shira, a saber tooth tiger, in the animated film, Ice Age: Continental Drift, the fourth film in the Ice Age franchise. Also in 2012, a talent show, ¡Q'Viva! The Chosen followed Lopez, Anthony, and director-choreographer Jamie King as they travelled across 21 countries in Latin America to find new talent for a Las Vegas show. In 2013, Lopez starred alongside Jason Statham in the crime thriller Parker, in which she played Leslie. Her performance earned positive reviews, with Chicago 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". Lopez became the chief creative officer of nuvoTV and founded the mobile phone retail brand Viva Móvil. She was an executive producer of the television series The Fosters.

Lopez at the 25th GLAAD Media Awards in 2014

Lopez's eighth studio album, A.K.A., was released in mid-2014 through Capitol Records, experiencing lacklustre sales, becoming her lowest-selling album in the US. The album produced three singles: "I Luh Ya Papi", featuring French Montana, "First Love", and "Booty", featuring Iggy Azalea. They reached 77, 87 and 18 respectively on the Billboard Hot 100. Also that year, Lopez released "We Are One (Ole Ola)", the official song for the 2014 FIFA World Cup along with Pitbull and Claudia Leitte. Lopez partnered with Endless Jewelry on a range of jewelry and released a book, True Love, which became a New York Times best-seller.

2015 saw the release of The 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. The film received negative reviews from critics. Despite this, it became her most successful opening at the box office for a live action film since Monster-in-Law. Lopez had a voice role in the animated feature Home and contributed the single "Feel the Light" to the film's official soundtrack. Lopez also starred in the independent drama film Lila & Eve, alongside Viola Davis.

2016–2021: Television work, Hustlers and Super Bowl LIV

From 2016 to 2018, Lopez had a residency concert show, All I Have, at Planet Hollywood's Zappos Theater in Las Vegas. She performed 120 shows during the three-year run, grossing over $100 million in ticket sales. At the beginning of the residency, Lopez signed a multi-album deal with her former label Epic Records, and released the single "Ain't Your Mama", which became one of her most successful releases during the 2010s. She subsequently announced she was working on her second Spanish-language album which was to be titled Por Primera Vez, but was eventually shelved. Lopez ultimately released a number of standalone Spanish and Spanglish singles, including "Ni Tú Ni Yo", "Amor, Amor, Amor", "El Anillo" and "Dinero", featuring DJ Khaled and Cardi B. In collaboration with Giuseppe Zanotti, Lopez designed a capsule collection of shoes and jewelry and, with Inglot Cosmetics, launched a limited-edition makeup collection.

From 2016 to 2018, Lopez produced and starred in NBC's crime drama series Shades of Blue as Detective Harlee Santos, a single mother and police detective in New York City who goes undercover for the FBI to investigate her own squad. The series' premiere brought NBC its most-watched Thursday debut in seven years. Starring alongside Ray Liotta, Lopez's performance received critical praise. Lopez was executive producer and judge on NBC's successful series World of Dance (2017–2020). Lopez reprised her voice role as Shira in the animated film Ice Age: Collision Course (2016).

In 2018, Lopez was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in the world, and starred in the comedy film Second Act, directed by Peter Segal; she also produced the film, and recorded the single "Limitless" for its soundtrack. Second Act earned mixed reviews from critics, but performed well at the box office, grossing $72.3 million during its theatrical run.

Lopez performing during her It's My Party tour in July 2019

Lopez starred in the film Hustlers (2019), for which she also served as an executive producer, and which grossed over US$100 million in North American box office receipts alone. Directed by Lorene Scafaria, the film is inspired by a true story, following a group of Manhattan strippers who con wealthy men. Lopez's portrayal of a veteran stripper in Hustlers garnered acclaim from critics, with some deeming it the best performance of her acting career. The film also gave Lopez her highest opening weekend at the box office for a live action film, grossing $33.2 million. Her performance garnered her nominations for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Critics' Choice Movie Awards and Independent Spirit Awards; her omission from the Academy Awards nominations was widely viewed as a snub. The success of Hustlers has been regarded by various media outlets as a comeback as an actress for Lopez. She was announced as the global face of the Coach brand and launched a collection of sunglasses with the brand Quay Australia. Also in September 2019, Lopez modeled an updated version of her Green Versace dress at Milan Fashion Week. She also became executive producer of the two television series, Good Trouble and Thanks a Million.

In 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. In February 2020, Lopez co-headlined the Super Bowl LIV halftime show in Miami, Florida alongside Shakira; the performance included an appearance by her child Emme Muñiz. The performance was widely praised and is currently the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show to date. In June 2020, she appeared in YouTube Originals's special, Dear Class of 2020, which featured a virtual commencement event and highlighted the George Floyd protests. By the end of the year, Lopez headlined the 2021 Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest special on ABC. She also released a number of singles between 2019 and 2021, including: "Medicine" featuring French Montana, "Pa' Ti + Lonely" with Maluma and "Cambia el Paso" with Rauw Alejandro.

In January 2021, Lopez performed at the 2021 inauguration of President Joe Biden in Washington, D.C., where she sang "This Land Is Your Land" and "America the Beautiful", while also reciting the last phrase of the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish. That month, she also launched her skincare line, JLo Beauty. In mid-2021, she signed a multi-year deal with Netflix to produce a range of films and television shows through her own Nuyorican Productions.

2022–present: Focus on film and This Is Me... Now

Lopez co-produced and starred opposite Owen Wilson and Maluma in the romantic comedy Marry Me, which was filmed in late 2019 and released in February 2022. The film grossed over $50 million at the box office while becoming the most-streamed day-and-date film on Peacock, and received generally mixed reviews from critics. Lopez also released a soundtrack for the film, with Maluma, which generated the singles "On My Way" and "Marry Me". In March 2022, Lopez was appointed as the chief "entertainment and lifestyle" officer of the cruise line, Virgin Voyages. Her next project was the documentary Jennifer Lopez: Halftime, which focuses on her life following the release of Hustlers and in preparation for her Super Bowl performance. Released on Netflix in June 2022 following its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, it garnered generally positive reviews from film critics. In September, Lopez was announced as the global ambassador of Italian lingerie label Intimissimi. The following month, Jimmy Fallon and Lopez released a children's book, Con Pollo: A Bilingual Playtime Adventure, which became a New York Times best-seller.

Lopez co-produced and starred opposite Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Coolidge in the action-comedy Shotgun Wedding, which was released on Amazon Prime Video in January 2023. It became one of the top-streamed films on Prime Video that year. She also led and co-produced the action thriller feature The Mother, directed by Niki Caro and released on Netflix in May 2023. The film received mixed reviews, but became the most-watched film on the platform for 2023. That September, she entered a "recording and publishing" partnership with BMG Rights Management, in conjunction with her Nuyorican Productions. Lopez's business ventures in 2023 included: launching a spritz brand named Delola, a collaboration between her lifestyle brand J.Lo by Jennifer Lopez and fashion retailer Revolve, and a footwear line, JLO Jennifer Lopez, which was released as three collections in March, May, and June.

Lopez's ninth studio album This Is Me... Now, a sequel album to This Is Me... Then (2002), was released by Nuyorican and BMG on February 16, 2024. A musical film, titled This Is Me...Now: A Love Story, directed by Dave Meyers and produced by Nuyorican, will be released simultaneously as a visual companion to the album on Prime Video. Her first studio album in nearly a decade, Lopez described it as an "emotional, spiritual, and psychological journey" of the past two decades; she stated that her reunion and marriage to Ben Affleck, who is also a co-writer for the film, inspired her to write honest music. Lopez plays a fictionalized version of herself in A Love Story, which has been described as an "autobiographical musical rom-com action sci-fi"; Tim Jonze of The Guardian suggested that Lopez had possibly invented the "therapy-musical biopic" genre. After potential partners backed out, Lopez financed the film herself for $20 million before Amazon subsequently purchased it. The album's lead single "Can't Get Enough" was released in January 2024. Lopez further promoted the album with performances on Saturday Night Live and a lingerie collection with Intimissimi, which was inspired by the album. She is set to embark on This Is Me... Now: The Tour in North America, beginning June 2024.

Upcoming projects

Lopez filmed the sci-fi thriller Atlas from September to November 2022 in L.A. and New Zealand, her third project under her Netflix deal. She will star alongside Jharrel Jerome in William Goldenberg's biographical wrestling drama Unstoppable, produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, and based on the life of wrestler Anthony Robles. Lopez has signed on to star in the Bill Condon-directed film adaptation of the Broadway musical, Kiss of the Spider Woman, which she will also executive produce. It is her first role in a full-fledged musical; filming will begin in April 2024 in New Jersey. She has also committed to lead and co-produce Netflix's film adaptation of the bestselling novel, The Cipher. She has several projects in the works as a producer.

Personal life

Lopez was in a nearly decade-long relationship with David Cruz, her high school boyfriend, until the mid-1990s. She would later say of Cruz, "You get lucky, you have a first love like that." 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 and from using private honeymoon footage of Lopez in a documentary. Lopez was in an on again–off again relationship with record producer and rapper Sean Combs (then known as "Puff Daddy") from 1999 to early 2001. On the night of December 27, 1999, Lopez and Combs were arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon and possession of stolen property, after leaving the scene of a shooting at a Times Square nightclub. Charges against Lopez were dropped within an hour while Combs was acquitted of all charges at trial in early 2001. They broke up shortly thereafter. Lopez later said that, while she had "cared very much" about Combs, their "crazy, tumultuous" relationship "was always something I knew would end." She was married to Cris Judd, her former backup dancer, from September 2001 to January 2003.

Before her divorce with Judd was finalized, Lopez was in a relationship with actor and filmmaker Ben Affleck from mid-2002 to early 2004. Although they had crossed paths several times before (including at the 70th Academy Awards and at the premiere of Armageddon, both in 1998), the first major meeting was on the set of Gigli (2003) in December 2001. They later worked together on the music video for "Jenny from the Block" and the film Jersey Girl (2004). Her album This Is Me... Then was dedicated to and inspired by Affleck. Their relationship was extensively publicized. Tabloids referred to the couple as "Bennifer", a portmanteau Vanity Fair described as "the first of that sort of tabloid branding". They became engaged in November 2002, but their planned wedding on September 14, 2003, was postponed with four days' notice because of "excessive media attention". They ended their engagement in January 2004. Years later, Lopez said Affleck's discomfort with media scrutiny was one reason for their split 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."

Lopez and Anthony, 2006

Lopez was married to singer Marc Anthony from June 2004 to June 2014; they had previously worked together and dated for a few months in the late 1990s. 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 in El Cantante (2006). Lopez gave birth to fraternal twins, a boy and a girl, on Long Island in February 2008. People paid a reported US$6 million for the first photographs of the twins, making them the most expensive celebrity pictures ever taken at the time. In 2009, Anthony and Lopez purchased a stake in the Miami Dolphins. The couple announced their separation in July 2011. Anthony filed for divorce in April 2012 and it was finalized in June 2014. Lopez retained primary physical custody of the two children. Lopez occasionally performs with Emme.

Lopez had an on again-off again relationship relationship with her former backup dancer Casper Smart from October 2011 to August 2016. She dated New York Yankees baseball player Alex Rodriguez from February 2017 to early 2021. They became engaged in March 2019 but postponed their wedding twice due to the COVID-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". They announced the end of their relationship in April 2021.

In April 2021, Lopez and Affleck were reported to be dating again, with Lopez publicly confirming their rekindled relationship that July. In the years after their breakup, they had remained in contact and spoken highly of each other in the press. Both Affleck and Lopez have spoken of the gift of a second chance with each other since reuniting. In April 2022, Lopez announced their second engagement, 20 years after the first proposal. They were married in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022, and held a wedding celebration for family and friends the following month.

Other ventures

Philanthropy

Lopez and then First Lady Michelle Obama posing for a selfie at the League of United Latin American Citizens National Convention and Exposition in 2014

Following the September 11 attacks, Lopez was heavily involved in charitable activities. Joining various other artists, she was featured on charitable singles such as "What's Going On" and "El Ultimo Adios (The Last Goodbye)", which benefited people affected by the tragedy. One dollar from each ticket sold at Lopez and Anthony's co-headlining North American concert tour, which grossed an estimated $10 million, was donated to Run for Something Better—a charitable organization supporting physical fitness programs for children. In February 2007, Lopez was honored with the Artists for Amnesty prize by the human rights organization Amnesty International, for her work in the film Bordertown, which shed light on the hundreds of feminicides in Ciudad Juárez. Lopez described it as "one of the world's most shocking and disturbing, underreported crimes against humanity".

Since early in her life, Lopez has supported children; her album Rebirth (2005) is dedicated to Paige Peterson, an eleven-year-old cancer patient whom Lopez befriended during visits to the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Peterson died in November 2004. Lopez stated that "[she doesn't] like to do [her] charity work in public. That's not what you do it for." Having had plans to create a charitable foundation for years, she eventually launched the Lopez Family Foundation (originally known as the Maribel Foundation) alongside her sister, Lynda, in 2009. The nonprofit organization seeks to increase the availability of healthcare for underprivileged women and children, offering a telemedicine program supported by a partnership with the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The foundation has facilitated the expansion of medical facilities in Panama and Puerto Rico, and created the Center for a Healthy Childhood at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

In December 2012, Lopez held a charity drive to benefit her three favorite charities: the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club, the Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the American Red Cross, mainly benefiting victims of Hurricane Sandy. In May 2015, she became the first national celebrity spokesperson for the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and the BC Children's Hospital Foundation (BCCHF), appearing in a campaign entitled "Put Your Money Where the Miracles Are". That September, Lopez was announced as the first Global Advocate for Girls and Women at the United Nations Foundation. This role sees her mobilizing action to address challenges faced by girls and women around the world, including maternal health care programs, education and violence against women.

In September 2017, following Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, Lopez donated $1 million from the proceeds of her Las Vegas residency to humanitarian aid for Puerto Rico. Along with Marc Anthony, she launched a humanitarian relief campaign entitled Somos Una Voz (English: We Are One Voice), an effort supported by various celebrities to rush supplies to areas affected by Hurricane Maria. Lopez and Anthony presented a subsequent concert and telethon for disaster relief, "One Voice: Somos Live!", which raised over $35 million. She was also among various artists featured on Lin-Manuel Miranda's charity single "Almost Like Praying" which benefits Puerto Rico.

As of 2021, Lopez continues to regularly donate and support charities. In September 2021, she launched her own philanthropic organization, Limitless Labs, that supports and empowers Latina entrepreneurs and business owners. Lopez announced a partnership between the venture and the 10,000 Small Businesses initiative. In June 2022, Lopez and Limitless Labs partnered with nonprofit Grameen America as a national ambassador to empower women-led Latina businesses with $14 billion in business loans and "6 million hours of financial education and training by 2030." Lopez has performed at charity concerts throughout her career, including the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation's Blue Diamond Gala in 2022, which raised $3.6 million in support of education, health care, homelessness and social justice.

Political activism

Lopez is an avid supporter of LGBT rights, and has raised millions of dollars for HIV/AIDS research. In June 2013, amfAR presented her with its humanitarian award for her philanthropic work. That September, she was awarded the Ally for Equality award presented by the Human Rights Campaign, for her support of the LGBT community. The following year, she received the GLAAD Vanguard Award. In July 2016, Lopez released a single entitled "Love Make the World Go Round", a collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda, which benefits victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. She was also featured on the song "Hands" along with numerous other artists, also benefiting those affected by the Orlando shooting. Lopez signed an open letter from Billboard magazine to the United States Congress in 2016, which demanded action on gun control.

A supporter of the Democratic Party, Lopez has a long history of backing Democratic candidates for public office. She endorsed President Barack Obama in his 2012 presidential campaign, speaking in television advertisements and attending fundraising events for Obama. She endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016, headlining a free concert in Florida in support of her that October. She endorsed President Joe Biden in his 2020 presidential campaign and also performed at his 2021 inauguration.

In June 2020, Lopez attended a Black Lives Matter movement protest in Los Angeles, in connection with the broader George Floyd protests. Lopez has also been an active advocate for the Time's Up movement. In January 2022, she became one of the Co-Chairs for Michelle Obama's When We All Vote. She expressed solidarity with the people of the Gaza Strip during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. Lopez, as part of a group called Artists4Ceasefire, signed a letter urging President Joe Biden to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

Artistry

Influences and musical style

Lopez cited Madonna as her "first big musical influence"

Lopez has cited Madonna 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." Her other major influences include Tina Turner, James Brown, and Michael Jackson. Another major influence on Lopez is Barbra Streisand, stating that, "watching her career over the years, watching her sing and act and direct, was very inspiring to me." Lopez has cited Janet Jackson as a major inspiration for her own dance and videos, stating that she "probably started dancing" because of Jackson's music video for "The Pleasure Principle". She has said that she also looks to the careers of Cher and Diana Ross, and has been influenced by younger artists such as Lady Gaga.

Growing up, she was influenced by Latin music styles ranging from salsa to bachata, and artists including Celia Cruz and Tito Puente. However, it was the hip hop song "Rapper's Delight" (1979) by The Sugarhill Gang that she said changed her life. She was also "hugely inspired in her youth" by Rita Moreno's performance in the musical film West Side Story (1961), noting that she "was Puerto Rican" like herself at a time when that was rare in Hollywood. Speaking of musicals being an essential influence, she has said that, "musicals were a part of the tapestry of my childhood", crediting her mom for introducing her to music.

According to author Ed Morales in The Latin Beat: The Rhythms And Roots Of Latin Music From Bossa Nova To Salsa And Beyond (2003), Lopez's music explores the "romantic innocence" of Latin music, while strongly identifying with hip hop. Her debut album On the 6 fuses the influence of Latin music with R&B and hip hop, which Lopez described as Latin soul. To the contrary, Morales described it as "state-of-the-art dance pop". While primarily sung in English, she speaks in Spanish and asserts her Latin heritage throughout the album, which is apparent in the song "Let's Get Loud". She has also recorded bilingual songs, including the Latin pop song "Cariño", for her second album J.Lo. A departure from her previous albums, This Is Me... Then blends 1970s soul with "streetwise" hip hop.

Described as autobiographical, much of Lopez's music has centered around the "ups and downs" of love. The lyrical content of This Is Me... Then is largely focused on her relationship with Ben Affleck, with the song "Dear Ben" being described as the album's "glowing centerpiece". Her first full-length Spanish-language album, Como Ama una Mujer features introspective lyrics about romance, heartache and self-loathing. When explaining her seventh studio album Love?, Lopez stated: "There's still so much to learn and that's why the question mark." Other recurrent themes in Lopez's music have included her upbringing in the Bronx and women's empowerment.

Some critics have considered Lopez's voice to be limited, and overshadowed by the production of her music, while remaining "radio-friendly". Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone remarked: "Instead of strained vocal pyrotechnics, 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." Meanwhile, AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine called her voice "slight" and wrote: "Lopez was never, ever about singing; she was about style". Entertainment Weekly criticized her vocal performance for lacking the trademark "husky-voiced voluptuousness" she has in her films. J. D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun regards Lopez as having a "breathy" stylistic range, but lacking personality.

Dance and stage

Lopez performing during the 2014 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony in Brazil

Considered one of dance's "greatest success stories", Refinery29 ranked Lopez at number two on a list of "11 Of Pop's Most Iconic Dancers" in 2015. Lopez felt an emotional connection to dance since her youth, when she specialized in ballet, jazz and flamenco. Throughout her music career, she has become known for her body-emphasizing music videos, which often include dance routines. CNN's Holly Thomas stated that "Lopez's years of professional dance experience gave her a captivating, commanding presence in her videos." Some of these videos have been the subject of controversy, including "Jenny from the Block", "Dance Again" and "Booty". Her provocatively choreographed music video for "If You Had My Love" allowed Lopez to become a dominant figure on MTV networks worldwide. Madeline Roth of MTV wrote: "Her diverse videography encompasses some of the most memorable visuals of the 21st century", with Rolling Stone writer Brittany Spanos observing that her "dancing skills and ability to toy with her own celebrity have made her videos an important part of the new millennium's pop canon". Her videography has also been noted for its influence on 2000s fashion trends.

On stage, Lopez is recognized for her showmanship, sex appeal, and costumes, which often include bodysuits. Author Priscilla Peña Ovalle stated in Dance and the Hollywood Latina: Race, Sex and Stardom (2011) that Lopez was one of the Latin stars who "used dance to gain agency as working performers with mainstream careers, yet many of their roles paradoxically racialized and sexualized their bodies". Troy Patterson of Entertainment Weekly also observed that she used her body for emphasis on stage, "She turned herself out as the fly girl hyperversion of postfeminist power, flaunting her control by toying with the threat of excess. In consequence, her star went supernova." Her signature movements include "clock-wise pivoting with salsa hip circles and sequential torso undulations". While being noted to lip sync in the early stages of career, Lopez's Dance Again World Tour was praised for showcasing live vocals and choreography synchronously. 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".

Her provocative stage performances have also drawn scrutiny at times. Robin Givhan of The Daily Beast criticized Lopez's performance at the 2011 American Music Awards where she wore a nude bodysuit, stating that it "cried out for attention in all the wrong ways" and was "banal exhibitionism". In May 2013, her performance on the finale of the television series Britain's Got Talent was deemed inappropriate for family-friendly television, and drew viewer complaints to Ofcom. Following her controversial performance at the musical festival Mawazine in 2015, Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane called it "indecent" and "disgraceful", while an education group claimed that she "disturbed public order and tarnished women's honor and respect".

Acting and screen

Lopez's films often see her playing "relatable everywomen", with Cady Lang of Time writing: "A longtime hallmark of Lopez’s filmography is her penchant for stories about survivors. Her characters are never shrinking violets." 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."

Film critic Stephanie 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." 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". Taylor Hackford, who directed Lopez in Parker, 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." Lopez, who identifies the romantic comedy as her favorite film genre, has been referred to as the "Patron Saint of Romantic Comedies" and the "Queen of Romantic Comedies".

In her early films, Lopez played stereotypical roles which signified her as a "racialized, exoticized" other. In films such as Blood and Wine and U Turn, her body is fetishized "through extreme close-ups" and "framed as animalistic, primitive, and irresistibly dangerous to the Anglo American male characters." This shifted with her role in Selena, which "affirmed her Latinx identity, and won her the loyalty of that significant section of the US and global audience." She has also been criticized for playing ethnically ambiguous parts and tapping into "the ability to perform a panethnic other" to commodify herself. Her role as an Italian woman in The Wedding Planner has been described as "a case of classic Hollywood whitewashing."

Public image

Lopez wearing an updated version of her iconic green Versace dress at Milan Fashion Week in September 2019

Writing of Lopez's image, Andrew Barker of Variety observed: "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'. She managed the perilous transition from actress to music star without ever seeming to pick either as a primary gig. She established herself as an oft-provocative sex symbol while her demeanor made it abundantly clear that she's not asking you to come hither." In 2002, Lynette Holloway of The New York Times described Lopez as overexposed. She wrote: "Forgive yourself if you are seeing Jennifer Lopez in your sleep. She is everywhere." Holloway noted her image to be "a dash of ghetto fabulousness" and "middle-class respectability" for mass appeal. Entertainment Weekly observed a change in her public profile upon joining American Idol in 2011, writing: "Gone was her old cut-a-bitch swagger; J. Lo 2.0 is an all-embracing, Oprahfied earth madre." Television presenter Ray Martin describes her as a "showbiz phenomenon".

Lopez is widely celebrated for her callipygian figure. Vanity Fair described her buttocks as "in and of themselves, a cultural icon". 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." She has been credited with influencing a change in mainstream female body image. In Latin Sensations (2001), Herón Marquez wrote: "Because she wasn't rail thin, Lopez had broken the mold and allowed millions of women to feel good about their bodies. Suddenly, it was okay for women to have hips, curves, and a big backside." 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 generally reflected and perpetuated through media images." However, she was also criticized for perceived changes in her image upon launching her music career, which included "weight loss and lightening her hair".

Lopez has also been noted for her sex appeal. Details magazine named her the "Sexiest Woman of the Year" in 1998, and she topped FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World" list twice. In 2011, she was named "The Most Beautiful Woman" by People. The following year, VH1 ranked her the fourth on their list of "100 Sexiest Artists", while Vibe magazine named her the most "lustable" celebrity of the past twenty years. Lopez has criticized "this funny notion in America that you can't be a mom and be sexy", and said, "I think, sometimes, as women, we think: 'if I'm too sexy I won't be taken seriously'".

Lopez has been a tabloid fixture and has admitted to having a "less-than-perfect" public image. The media has often drawn comparisons between Lopez and actress Elizabeth Taylor due to her numerous failed relationships and glamourous public persona, with Lopez sometimes being dubbed a "modern-day Liz Taylor" by the media. Considered a fashion icon, her sense of style continues to be a big part of her public image. Her style was described by Billboard's Lauren Savage as "scantily clad". Lopez looks to "women who epitomize Hollywood glamour" for style inspiration, including Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner and Marilyn Monroe, though her style has "a more urban, hip hop influence" due to her Bronx upbringing.

Since the early stages of her career, Lopez received a bad reputation as being a demanding and outspoken "diva", something which she has denied, stating: "I've always been fascinated by how much more well-behaved we have to be than men." Actor and filmmaker Ben Affleck attributed her reputation to racism and sexism: "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."

Legacy and cultural impact

Entertainment industry

Lopez waving the Puerto Rican flag in 2009 at the Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan

Lopez is regarded as the most influential Latin entertainer of all time, credited with breaking ethnic barriers in the entertainment industry. In August 2005, Time listed Lopez as one of the most influential Hispanics in America, remarking: "Why? Because over a decade ago, she was an anonymous background dancer on the second-rated sketch-comedy show. Today she's known by two syllables." In Icons of American Popular Culture (2009), Robert C. Cottrell described Lopez as a "multidimensional artist who had turned into a financial powerhouse" and the "embodiment of the American Dream." In 2012, business magazine Forbes ranked her as the world's most powerful celebrity in its annual Celebrity 100 list, suggesting that she "may be the most powerful entertainer on the planet."

Lopez is the highest-paid Latina actress in history, making up to US$15 million per film during the 2000s. The Record newspaper observed that she was responsible for bringing a Latina presence to the film industry, which was historically a "whites-only preserve". Her film career, particularly her performance in Selena, has been credited with paving the way for greater representation of Latino Americans in Hollywood. With her role in Out of Sight, where her character's ethnicity is a mere sidenote, scholar Frances Negrón-Muntaner wrote in 2004 that Lopez had "achieved what generations of Hollywood Latino actors continue to dream about: ethnic 'blind' casting." As Lopez transitioned away from "sexualized or stereotypical Latina roles", author Mary Beltrán noted her to be an "anomaly in the traditionally white space of the Hollywood mainstream" at the time. Lopez failing to receive an Academy Award nomination for Hustlers (2019) led to "renewed focus on the academy’s predominantly white acting nominees", with Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti referencing the perceived snub while announcing a new initiative for Latino representation in Hollywood.

Upon launching her music career, Lopez contributed to the "Latin explosion" occurring in entertainment during the late 1990s. Brian Haack of The Recording Academy described her as the "breakout female star" of the Latin pop movement in American music. Considered "one of the most important Latina pop stars", Rolling Stone stated that she paved "the way for other American-born Latina pop stars to flourish," including Selena Gomez and Becky G. Academic Aida Hurtado stated that Lopez's "transnational focus" influenced Latin American pop artists to "venture into U.S. markets by recording in English", including Shakira, Thalía and Paulina Rubio. Following her debut, Billboard wrote that Lopez "isn't too far behind Ricky Martin as the leading light of Latin music in Asia", where she was noted to have "pushed the envelope for international female artists in the region."

Dee Lockett of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote that songs like "Let's Get Loud" and "Waiting for Tonight" made Lopez "arguably the leading artist in the dance-pop movement at the time." Billboard credited her with "influencing the Latin dance music boom of the 2000s", and named her the "Greatest Pop Star" of the year 2001. MTV's Yasmine Shemesh described the J.Lo album as "contributing to the trajectory of early 2000s music", with journalists observing that Lopez's collaboration with Ja Rule would influence future pop rap collaborations. Scholar Miriam Jiménez Román noted that Lopez, who "represents an often-suppressed history of hip hop culture that in its inception was as much Jamaican and Puerto Rican as African American", was "able to traverse the difficult racial boundaries". In 2011, following her return to prominence, Lopez was deemed the "world's greatest musical comeback act", based on a study by digital search agency AccuraCast, which analysed over one billion Google searches since 2004.

Lopez is considered a pop icon, and is often described as a triple threat performer. VH1 ranked her at number 15 on their list of 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons, number 16 on 100 Greatest Women In Music, and number 21 on 50 Greatest Women of the Video Era. Lopez has been cited as an influence or inspiration by a range of entertainers, including Jessica Alba, Adrienne Bailon, Camila Cabello, Sofia Carson, Kat DeLuna, Mike Doughty, Fifth Harmony, Becky G, Selena Gomez, Ryan Guzman, Jessie James Decker, Kelly Key, Q'orianka Kilcher, Brie Larson, Demi Lovato, Maluma, Tate McRae, Camila Mendes, Normani, Rita Ora, Pitbull, Princess Nokia, Keke Palmer, Francia Raisa, Naya Rivera, Bebe Rexha, Rosa Salazar, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Taylor Swift, and Kerry Washington. Larson stated that seeing Lopez in Selena made her want to be an actor. Stefani studied Lopez's Vegas residency while developing her own, saying that she "always looked up to her". Actress Eva Longoria credited Lopez with breaking barriers for Latin actors, stating that she "broke down so many doors so that we could walk through them." America Ferrera said there was "no roadmap" for succeeding in Hollywood as a Latin actress before Lopez.

Cultural influence

Jonathan Van Meter of Vogue described Lopez as having changed the face of modern celebrity. She has been noted for her ability to start trends, which has prompted the usage of the phrase "the J.Lo effect" in popular culture. Academics have observed the phrase's application to a phenomenon that resembles mate choice copying. The ratings success of Lopez's casting on American Idol led to a trend of networks hiring "big name" judges for similar shows, which The Hollywood Reporter branded "the J.Lo effect". With her moniker J.Lo, Lopez started a trend of celebrities being given abbreviated nicknames. Her highly publicized relationship with Affleck ("Bennifer") also began the convention of celebrity couple name blending. Her first fragrance, Glow by JLo, has been credited with influencing the rise of celebrity fragrances in the 2000s, with perfume critic Chandler Burr writing: "Elizabeth Taylor was one of the first [to have her own scent], but Glow kicked the whole thing into overdrive." Her fragrance line became the most successful celebrity line in the world, with sales exceeding $2 billion as of 2012.

Christy Haubegger, who founded Latina magazine, observed that Lopez was "the first icon that generationally fits" young Latino Americans who followed celebrity culture. Lopez was featured on the first cover of Latina in 1996, with editor Galina Espinoza writing in 2011 that there is "no recounting of modern Latina history without Jennifer". Around the time her career began to burgeon, public discourse on Lopez's curvaceous figure grew, sometimes overshadowing her career achievements. Scholar Sean Redmond wrote that this was a sign of her role and social power in the cultural changes occurring in the United States. Jillian Báez suggested that "Lopez and her body functions as a site of struggle as a contestation for debating larger issues concerning the everyday lives of Latinas in the U.S." In 2019, she was presented with keys to the city of Miami Beach, with July 24 being declared "Jennifer Lopez Day".

In 2014, scientists named a species of aquatic mite found in Puerto Rico, Litarachna lopezae, after Lopez. In Tok Pisin, a language spoken in Papua New Guinea, the term palopa is used to describe non-heteronormative people whose identities may correlate with western definitions of homosexual men or trans women; its etymology is derived from the name Jennifer Lopez.

Fashion

Lopez (left), wearing an updated version of her iconic green Versace dress, and Donatella Versace (right) in 2019

Recognized for her influence on fashion, the Council of Fashion Designers of America presented Lopez with its Fashion Icon Award in 2019 for her "long-standing and global impact on fashion". Her green Versace "Jungle Dress", voted the fifth most iconic red carpet dress of all time in a poll run by The Daily Telegraph, had a significant impact on the fashion industry and evolution of red carpet fashion. 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 of Google's image search. Donatella Versace credited Lopez wearing the dress with reviving the Versace brand.

Lopez has been in demand as a fashion brand ambassador. In 2021, she was identified as one of 10 celebrities whose personal style choices drive the greatest spikes in searches and news coverage for fashion brands. The Daily Telegraph called her as the "world's most powerful" middle aged celebrity in fashion. Her appearance at Milan Fashion Week in September 2019, wearing an updated version of green Versace dress, generated over $31.8 million in total media impact value. After she wore a white Chanel coat at the 2021 presidential inauguration, searches for "long white coats" grew by 119%.

A range of celebrities have cited Lopez as their style icon, including Kim Kardashian and Serena Williams. Lopez's clothing brand was one of the first celebrity fashion lines, with Hurtado writing that she "redefined how fashion is produced and entwined with other artistic endeavors", influencing artists like Beyoncé to adopt a similar approach. Fashion trends popularized by Lopez in the 2000s include velour shorts, baby pink coats, Juicy Couture tracksuits, and Newsboy caps. In 2004, Lopez inspired a trend of curvier mannequins being manufactured, with mannequin designers such as Ralph Pucci basing their designs on her body. This led to a rise in sales for manufacturers and retailers.

Achievements

See also: List of awards and nominations received by Jennifer Lopez

As of 2018, Lopez has sold more than 80 million records worldwide and her films have grossed a cumulative total of US$3.1 billion. She remains the only female entertainer to have a number one album and film simultaneously in the United States. With J.Lo (2001), Lopez became the first female solo recording artist under Epic Records to achieve a number one album in the United States since its inception in 1953. J to tha L-O! The Remixes (2002) was acknowledged by the Guinness World Records as the first number one remix album on the US Billboard 200. Lopez's single "On the Floor" is among the best-selling singles of all time, and its music video was recognized as the "Highest Viewed Female Music Video of All Time" by Guinness World Records in 2012. Billboard magazine ranked her as the ninth greatest dance club artist of all time in 2016, having scored 18 number-one songs on its Dance Club Songs chart.

In 2010, Lopez was honored by the World Music Awards with the Legend Award for her contribution to the arts. In 2013, she was presented with the prestigious landmark 2,500th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her musical contributions, and Univision presented her with the World Icon Award in its Premios Juventud. In 2014, she became the first female recipient of the Billboard Icon Award. In 2017, she was awarded the Telemundo Star Award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards. In 2018, Lopez received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards, making her the first Latin performer to receive the honor since its introduction in 1984. In 2022, she received the Generation Award at the MTV Movie & TV Awards for her contributions to film and television, and the Icon Award at the iHeart Radio Music Awards.

Discography

Main articles: Jennifer Lopez discography and List of songs recorded by Jennifer Lopez

• On the 6 (1999)
• J.Lo (2001)
• This Is Me... Then (2002)
• Rebirth (2005)
• Como Ama una Mujer (2007)
• Brave (2007)
• Love? (2011)
• A.K.A. (2014)
• This Is Me... Now (2024)

Filmography

Main articles: Jennifer Lopez filmography and Jennifer Lopez videography

Films starred

• Nurses on the Line: The Crash of Flight 7 (1993)
• My Family (1995)
• Money Train (1995)
• Jack (1996)
• Blood and Wine (1996)
• Selena (1997)
• Anaconda (1997)
• U Turn (1997)
• Out of Sight (1998)
• Antz (1998)
• The Cell (2000)
• The Wedding Planner (2001)
• Angel Eyes (2001)
• Enough (2002)
• Maid in Manhattan (2002)
• Gigli (2003)
• Shall We Dance? (2004)
• Monster-in-Law (2005)
• An Unfinished Life (2005)
• El Cantante (2006)
• Bordertown (2007)
• The Back-up Plan (2010)
• What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)
• Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012)
• Parker (2013)
• The Boy Next Door (2015)
• Lila & Eve (2015)
• Home (2015)
• Ice Age: Collision Course (2016)
• Second Act (2018)
• Hustlers (2019)
• Marry Me (2022)
• Shotgun Wedding (2022)
• The Mother (2023)
• This Is Me...Now: A Love Story (2024)
• Atlas (2024)
• Unstoppable (2024)

Written works

Lopez has written a memoir and co-written one children's book so far.

• Lopez, Jennifer. True Love. Celebra, 2014. ISBN 9780451468680.
• Lopez, Jennifer and Jimmy Fallon (authors). Con Pollo: A Bilingual Playtime Adventure. Feiwel & Friends, 2022. ISBN 9781250876362.

Tours and residencies

Main article: List of Jennifer Lopez live performances

Headlining tours

• Dance Again World Tour (2012)
• It's My Party Tour (2019)
• This Is Me... Now: The Tour (2024)

Co-headlining tours

• Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony en Concierto (2007)
• Enrique Iglesias & Jennifer Lopez Tour (2012)

Residencies

• Jennifer Lopez: All I Have (2016–2018)

See also

• History of women in Puerto Rico
• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
• List of dancers
• List of Puerto Ricans
• Mami (hip hop)
• Nuyorican
• List of most-followed Instagram accounts

Further reading

• Reyes, Luis (2000). Hispanics in Hollywood: A Celebration of 100 Years in Film and Television. iFilm Publishing/Lone Eagle. ISBN 978-1-58065-025-0.
• Gallick, Sarah (2003). National Enquirer (ed.). J.Lo: The Secret Behind Jennifer Lopez's Rise to the Top. From the Files of the National Enquirer Series. Ami Books. ISBN 1-932270-07-8.
• Negrón-Muntaner, Frances (2004). Boricua pop: Puerto Ricans and the latinization of American culture. New York: New York Univ. Press. ISBN 0814758185.
• Redmond, Sean (2007). Holmes, Su (ed.). Stardom and Celebrity: A Reader. SAGE. pp. 282–283. ISBN 978-1446202388.
• Woog, Adam (2008). Jennifer Lopez: The Great Hispanic Heritage Series. Infobase Publishing. ISBN 9781438106816.
• Cottrell, Robert C. (2009). Icons of American Popular Culture: From P. T. Barnum to Jennifer Lopez. M.E. Sharpe. ISBN 9780765628350.
• Peña Ovalle, Priscilla (2011). Dance and the Hollywood Latina: Race, Sex, and Stardom. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0813548807.
• Lopez, Jennifer (2014). True Love. Celebra. ISBN 9780451468680.

External links

• Jennifer Lopez – official site
• JLo Beauty – official beauty site
• Jennifer Lopez at AllMusic
• Template:AllMovie name
• Jennifer Lopez discography at Discogs
• Jennifer Lopez at IMDb
• Appearances on C-SPAN