by Venus Sanders
Jennifer Lopez is a talented actress, dancer, and overall performer, so what happened?
Image Credit: Bellocqimages/Bauer-Griffin | Getty Images
Why is the general public anti-Lopez, and when did it start? On March 14, 2023, Jessica Rawden from Cinema Blend reported on a viral TikTok alleging that Jennifer Lopez snatched back a tip after she thought Ben Affleck was too generous. A star worth $400 million taking back a tip—allegedly—was never going to go over well, and sure enough, it didn’t. In the now-deleted TikTok, a woman who claims to work in a Las Vegas casino says that JLo is “garbage” and “stingy.”
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Her story is that a former co-worker moved into a cocktail waitressing position in Vegas and spent an entire shift working for Ben Affleck—no other tips coming from elsewhere—only to be blocked out of a great tip from the actor thanks to his then-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez. “As Tiffany was telling him goodnight and thank you very much and everything…he put $10,000 on her tray. Jennifer immediately snatched the money, saying, ‘Aww hell no!’ and took it back.”
Since the video picked up traction, many others began to stitch it, recounting their horror moments with the singer as well. This went on for weeks, with more accounts then sharing that Lopez is a fraud, having kept background vocals from many other singers throughout her career in her music, claiming it as her own.
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ALBUMS:
On June 1, 1999, ‘On the 6’ was released with the lead single being ‘If You Had My Love’. Singer Chante Moore later came out and said that the song was originally for her and was essentially ‘stolen’ from her and rewritten for Jennifer Lopez to perform. While this is not uncommon in the music industry, it’s unfair. We can take, for instance, the album ‘Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart’, the title track that was originally intended for K. Michelle but was then given to Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill during their relationship era. K. Michelle spoke candidly about this, considering it a sketchy practice.
On January 23, 2001, ‘J. Lo’ was released with lead singles "Love Don’t Cost a Thing," "I’m Real," "Play," and "Ain’t it Funny." This is where many problems began for the singer, as another singer, Ashanti, is famously known for singing the demo for two of the tracks mentioned above. However, she is never given any credit for her contributions to the records. The song "Play" was co-written by Christina Milian, and her vocals remained on the finished track, over which Lopez lip-synched. This has garnered a lot of negative attention from the general public, who essentially believe that Lopez should, in fact, credit the singers.
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On November 26, 2002, ‘This Is Me…Then’ was released. Again, her lead single "Jenny from the Block" does not credit singer Natasha Ramos, who was recently recognized for having done background vocals, which were ultimately used in the final version. She does not receive royalties for the song. Many have come to question Jennifer Lopez’s integrity, leading some to believe that all of her songs may have been recorded by others and passed off as her own. Fans feel betrayed, lied to, and bamboozled, and rightfully so. The singer has yet to address any of the accusations.
Despite the release of six additional albums, Lopez’s latest one, "This Is Me…Now," sold a mere 19,000 copies, compared to her debut album sales of around 2,900,000 in the U.S. alone. No one doubts Lopez’s ability to perform, but they do have reservations about her personality and whether they want to support an artist who comes off as soulless, mean, and downright condescending to the people around her. From the negative stories circulating online to the narcissistic tendencies to fooling fans, it’s safe to say that Jennifer Lopez is just not everyone’s cup of tea at the moment.
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CANCELING THE TOUR…
More recently, after the premiere of her documentary, “The Greatest Love Story Never Told,” fans once again took to TikTok to express their disdain towards the global singer. Not only is she out of touch with reality, but Bronx natives were infuriated by her constant comments about being from the city without ever returning or giving back to the communities within it. So, it’s safe to say that the Bronx is tired of JLo, too.
With rumors swirling about a possible breakup between her and Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez cannot seem to catch a break. Fans noticed that she appeared at this year's Met Gala alone and without her wedding ring. Plus, she was heard being cold and dismissive to a journalist on the carpet. Needless to say, she’s losing popularity—and fast. The ‘This is Me Now…Live’ tour cancellation announcement came a few days ago, much to the surprise of no one.
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This news came shortly after several shows were canceled without explanation, but many believed it to be due to low ticket sales. However, according to Live Nation, the tour sold 73% of its seats. Was that simply not enough for the singer? Was she hoping for a sold-out show at each stop? We may never know, as it could also be true that she’s spending time with her friends and family and hoping to slow down a bit. With the release of her newest movie, Atlas, on Netflix, Lopez was clearly keeping busy. But even her performance there has been heavily criticized.
THE RETURN OF JLO
Can JLo regain the love and trust of her fans? Sure. But some major accountability might be needed versus taking the unbothered approach, and of course, some good PR. Jennifer Lopez deserves her flowers; she is an incredibly talented actress, dancer, and performer! We do wish more people had nicer things to say about her, but I suppose we will have to just wait and see what comes next.