Jennifer Lopez has been promoting her new musical, “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” and seems to want that to remain the focus as she makes appearances in support of the project.
During an interview on Monday, the “Jenny From The Block” singer called out a presenter, Craig Melvin, for asking her about her divorce from Ben Affleck.
Jennifer Lopez has previously opened up about how filming the musical came at a “really tough time” for her, as she had to do it during the breakdown of her marriage.
Jennifer Lopez Calls Out Craig Melvin Over Ben Affleck Divorce Question
Lopez expertly shunned a question about her recent divorce from Ben Affleck during a Monday appearance on the “Today” show.
During the interview, host Craig Melvin got inquisitive and asked her about the project and Affleck’s involvement in it, but she was visibly uncomfortable with the question before proceeding to call him out.
“In the middle of filming this elaborate, beautiful musical, your divorce was also finalized with Ben,” Melvin began, but Lopez quickly cut him off.
The singer said, with a playful but firm call-out: “There you go! Look at this guy!”
The News Anchor Shared His Reason For Bringing Up Ben Affleck During The Interview
Melvin quickly clarified his intention for bringing the “Argo” actor into the conversation, saying, “But then I read that your ex is an executive producer on the film.”
Lopez then softened her tone and used the opportunity to give Affleck his flowers for a job well done on the project.
“If it wasn’t for Ben, the movie wouldn’t have gotten made,” she said, per People Magazine.
Lopez added, “And I will always give him that credit.”
Jennifer Lopez Explained How The Movie Helped Her Process The Divorce
Lopez and Affleck first dated in the early 2000s and even got engaged, but eventually split in 2004 due to media pressure.
They reunited and got engaged in 2022, followed by a high-profile wedding. However, barely 2 years after their wedding, Lopez filed for divorce in August 2024, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was settled and finalized in early 2025.
During her appearance on the “Today” show, the “Hustlers” actress weighed in on her it-is-what-it-is attitude to the split, noting that “things happen” but one would “have to keep going.”
She also went further to explain how the movie helped her navigate her marital woes.
“It’s funny, the movie is about escapism. It’s about how movies and art save us in the hardest times of our lives,” she shared. “Doing this project was such a dream come true for me that it really got me through to kind of survive a moment that was difficult in my personal life as well.”
The Actress Admits That The Film ‘Saved’ Her
Lopez concluded the segment by expressing excitement for her future, saying that she “took some time off” after filming the musical but is fully “back” and is “excited for everybody to see this film.”
She explained that the film, which she called “a beautiful film about love,” helped her through the emotional period as she replied in the affirmative when Melvin suggested that the project might have “saved” her.
Back in September, the “Maid In Manhattan” star sat down for an interview on CBS News Sunday Morning, where she opened up about how filming the musical while experiencing a marital breakdown was quite rough for her.
“It was a really tough time,” she admitted, per People Magazine. “Every moment on set, every moment I was doing this role, I was so happy, and then it was like, back home, it was not great. And it was just like, oh, you know, ‘How do I reconcile this?'”
Jennifer Lopez Is Unfazed By Oscar Buzz
Lopez is already getting Oscar buzz for her first movie-musical role, but she seems to be unfazed by it.
During her appearance on CBS’s “Sunday Morning,” correspondent Lee Cowen asked her where she puts her “expectations” when it comes to awards, but the 56-year-old singer laughed it off, saying, “I don’t, I don’t — I learned my lesson last time.”
“But also, the joy, for me, is in doing it. Every single moment,” she continued. “It’s great to be in the conversation … like, you’re doing work that people recognize, and that they love. That’s enough.”
However, she clarified that she isn’t against her work being recognized and would appreciate it if she were to win.
“It’s not that you can’t want more, or that you don’t wanna stand up there and say thank you. Of course — we all want that,” she said.
“But I realized that I don’t need it in the way that maybe I thought when I was younger,” she continued, joking, “Not that I wouldn’t love it — I just wanna do that little disclaimer!”
“I’d be very grateful for that too,” Lopez added.
The Bill Condon-directed movie sees her star as a “silver screen diva” named Ingrid Luna and is set to hit theaters on October 10. According to People Magazine, Lopez will be submitted for consideration in the Best Supporting Actress category this awards season.
