mirror.co.uk WEDNESDAY 24.07.2019 DAILY MIRROR^15
DM1STJ-Lo
at 50
No butts
...without
pop star,
actress &
business
guru Jen,
there’d be
no Kim K
LOVE’S HIGHS AND J-LOWS
FA NGI R L
small part but it had a big
impact because the movie
made her set her sights on
becoming a star.
Her parents hated the idea, and it
led to a tumultuous year at home before
Jennifer left for Manhattan at 18.
Whenever auditions didn’t go well,
calling her mum taught her not to feel
sorry for herself.
Jennifer said: “I thought she’d offer me
some sympathy. Instead, she said, ‘Don’t
you ever call me crying! You wanted to be
in this business, so you better toughen
up!’. And I did.”
It worked. Because Jennifer soon
started touring as a backing dancer
with the New Kids on the Block and
Janet Jackson.
A starring role in 1997’s Selena, the
movie life story of murdered Mexican-
American singer Selena Quintanilla-
Pérez, established Jennifer as an
acting talent to watch – and two years
later, she had her first pop hit with If
You Had My Love.
In February 2000, Jennifer wore a
low-cut green Versace dress to
the Grammys that was so iconic,
it launched Google Images.
But few will remember the man
on her arm that night was rapper
Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs. He was
her first famous boyfriend, after her
11-month marriage to
restaurant worker Ojani
Noa ended in 1998.
He gave Jennifer her J-Lo
moniker, and dragged her
into the biggest scandal of
her life.
On December 28, 1999, She
and Combs were in a New York
nightclub. Rounds of gunshots
went off — one, allegedly,
coming from Puffy’s gun.
The pair were arrested and
Jennifer spent the next 14 hours
in a police cell, sobbing uncon-
trollably. Charges against her and Combs
were later dropped but it made Jennifer
realise she had to turn away from fame
and re-focus on her career ambitions.
A whirlwind marriage to Cris Judd – adancer she met on the set of her video for
Love Don’t Cost A Thing – followed but
ended after nine months. Jennifer then fell
for actor Ben Affleck, 46, on the set of their
2003 flop, Gigli.
The couple were a huge media sensa-
tion, known as Bennifer, and got engaged
a few months after
dating but broke up
before their wedding,
which had been booked
for September 2003.
Five months later,
Jennifer married Marc
Anthony – a salsa singer
and long-term friend.
With Marc, also 50, it
looked like Jennifer had
finally found her soul-
mate. In February 2008,
they welcomed twins
Max and Emme. But in
2011 they split, divorcing in 2014.
“The pain hurt so much,” Jennifer said.
“But I didn’t want what happened to finish
me. I wanted to come out of it stronger
than before.” Jennifer was briefly linked toBradley Cooper, 44, and dancer Casper
Smart, 32. But in 2017 she began dating
baseball star Alex Rodriguez, 43, and in
March they announced their engagement.
She has since become close to Kim
Kardashian and when they are pictured
together, the similarities are striking –
even with the 12-year age gap.
Because despite Jennifer’s extreme
highs and lows, she looks as good as
someone half her age.
Daily exercise, staying out of the sun
and avoiding alcohol, caffeine and junk
food has helped the star preserve her
sensational looks.
And, just as she has always been more
than a red carpet clothes horse, Jennifer
knows beauty isn’t just on the outside so
uses meditation to keep her youthful glow.
“Everyone wants a miracle cream, but
there’s no substitute for feeling great
inside,” she said. “I am youthful and
timeless. I tell myself that every day.
“It sounds like such clichéd bulls**t, but
it’s not. Age is all in your mind.”
[email protected]
@juliemccaffreyI didn’t want
what had
happened
to finish me.
I had to be
strongerJENNIFER LOPEZ ON SPLIT
FROM MARC ANTHONYHUBBY N0.1 Restaurant worker Ojani NoaHUBBY N0.2 Backing dancer Cris JuddIT COUPLE With Ben Affleck in 2002HUBBY N0.3 Salsa singer Marc AnthonyShe inspired Kardashians ENGAGED Baseball star Alex Rodriguez