Sterling K. Brown and Jennifer Lopez shade, explained

Jennifer Lopez can’t seem to catch a break. Her come-back tour hasn’t been well received by fans or critics. Rumors are swirling that she Ben Affleck are on the rocks. Her dramatic film The Greatest Love Story Never Told and the even more dramatic documentary attached to the title were dragged online for weeks and critics found very few redeeming qualities in Atlas, her latest Netflix film.

Even her Atlas co-stars seem fed up with her antics. While the ‘90s music sensation and her co-stars were making the promotional rounds for the flick, fans noticed some silly shade aimed her way from Sterling K Brown.

What did Sterling K Brown Say about J-Lo?

We’ve all worked with a pick me girl who just has to reiterate that little thing that makes them so special and not like other girls. For Lopez’s public persona, this manifests in 2 ways:

1. Jenny is from the block
2. She is Puerto Rican

Over the last few months, J-lo’s emphasis on her “from the block” upbringing has been dragged relentlessly online. In response, it seems like she’s pivoting her social strategy to revolve around the less-utilized Puerto Rican roots, but it doesn’t seem to have stemmed the tide of internet heckling. During an interview with Lopez and her Atlas co-stars Sterling K Brown and Simu Liu, the most mundane topic of comfort foods prompted the sassiest response from Brown.

When Liu asked the question, Lopez wasted no time throwing out her heritage, “I grew up — I’m Puerto Rican, so I like rice and beans.” As everyone knows, only Latin folk like beans and rice. Not about to let it slide, Brown chimes in with a sarcastic but playful, “Are you Puerto Rican?!”

Lopez snaps out a quick, “yes I am,” barely stopping her deluge of unnecessary explanation over what “rice and beans” might mean to shoot Brown a dirty look.

Without missing a beat, the Emmy Award winning actor adds, “Get outta here!” staring into the camera like a character in The Office.

Fans were quick to latch onto the sass; “His face after ‘oh you’re Puerto Rican?’”one laughed. Others pointed out the quick camera cut to avoid showing Lopez’s eye roll of annoyance. Countless TikTokers cheered him on from the comment section, “he is a son of the internet,” wrote one, “he is ALL OF US!”

Unperturbed by his interruption, Lopez plows on, “Rice and beans and like, you know, chicken,” as she describes any basic Latin dish, Brown rolls the Spanish version of her words, (“frijoles, pollo,”) in his mouth, before cutting in completely with a loud “Me gusta… French Toast.”

Commenters loved the subtle shade of using Spanish, “Her silence after he broke out the Spanish is priceless,” wrote one. “He plays too much,” one added with a multitude of cry-laughing emojis.

Apparently over his antics, Lopez finally stops talking, leaving room for her co-stars to answer. After quickly describing a French Bread pudding that he fancies, Brown passes the torch to Simu Liu.

Rising above the spat, the Chinese-born Canadian throws out his own favorite – dumplings steamed or boiled, veggies or meat – but never feels the need to emphasize why the tasty buns claim his top spot.