Tensions Flare At 'Othello' Opening As Jennifer Lopez Snaps At Paparazzi

Don’t mess with Jennifer Lopez, especially when her kids are involved.

The "Unstoppable" actress and music icon proved she’s fiercely protective of her family when an aggressive paparazzo reportedly got way too close to her 17-year-old child, Emme, outside the Broadway premiere of “Othello” Sunday night.

The star-studded premiere drew a host of high-profile guests, including Samuel L. Jackson, Tamron Hall, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christina Baranski, and even former President Joe Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden, who received a standing ovation before joining the cast at a post-show celebration at Tavern on the Green.

While the red carpet was packed with A-list stars, it was the unexpected tension surrounding Jennifer Lopez that stole the spotlight.

According to a Page Six spy, Lopez and Emme were exiting the Ethel Barrymore Theatre when a photographer shoved a “huge paparazzi camera” in between the pair, startling Emme and instantly triggering a protective reaction from their superstar mom.

“She went mama bear,” the source said, adding that Lopez immediately yelled at the man for invading her child’s space.

While the moment was intense, it didn’t ruin the evening for the mother-daughter duo, who were spotted enjoying the event together and later shared sweet moments online.

“'Othello' premiere with the best date ever,” Lopez captioned an Instagram reel showing the two shimmying together in a heartwarming clip that quickly had fans swooning.

Nearly a year after her headline-making split from Ben Affleck, sources say the 55-year-old singer, actress, and entrepreneur is finally open to dating again. The two quietly separated in April 2024 and finalized their divorce in early 2025.

Now, with time to heal and the support of family and friends, Lopez is reportedly ready to get back in the saddle, and she knows exactly what kind of man she's looking for.

“Jennifer wants to be in love again,” a source close to the star told Daily Mail, adding that Lopez has her eye on a rugged, loyal type, specifically someone who embodies Rip Wheeler, the brooding cowboy from "Yellowstone" portrayed by Cole Hauser.

“She had a crush on Rip Wheeler from 'Yellowstone' and wants a guy like that,” the insider shared. “Someone who can have her back and make sure she is OK. She wants to be put first and made to feel special.”

Meanwhile, Lopez is channeling her energy into a packed professional calendar. “Jennifer wants this summer to be amazing after a tough start to the year,” another source shared, noting the pop icon is especially excited to celebrate her 56th birthday on July 24 with her 16-year-old twins, Max and Emme.

Though she continues to face public scrutiny over her storied relationship history, which includes marriages to Ojani Noa, Cris Judd, Marc Anthony, and Ben Affleck, as well as a broken engagement to Alex Rodriguez, Lopez is focused on reclaiming the narrative in 2025.

She’s also preparing for the release of her passion project, "Kiss of the Spider Woman," a film adaptation of the Broadway musical she co-produced with Affleck. The movie, which debuted to early praise at Sundance, sees Lopez in the role of Aurora, a fantasy figure imagined by a political prisoner in 1980s Argentina.

After months of silence, Affleck is finally speaking out about his split from Lopez.

In his GQ April 2025 cover story published Tuesday, the Oscar-winning actor and director addressed the end of his high-profile marriage with a surprising sense of calm, and a little humor.

“If you sat down and talked to me about my life, your eyes would glaze over with boredom,” Affleck said, pushing back on the tabloid-fueled fascination with his relationship. “There is no scandal, no soap opera [and] no intrigue.”

Affleck and Lopez finalized their divorce in early 2025 after separating quietly in April 2024. Their rekindled romance had captivated the world, culminating in two weddings in 2022, a low-key Las Vegas ceremony and a lavish Georgia celebration. J. Lo later filed for divorce in 2024.

After Lopez released her 2024 Amazon Prime documentary "This Is Me… Now: A Love Story" and its behind-the-scenes companion "The Greatest Love Story Never Told," many fans speculated that the cracks in the couple’s relationship had played out on screen. Affleck, however, denies the film was the cause, or even a reflection, of their breakup.