When 2024 began, Jennifer Lopez was on top of the world: she had the love of her life, Ben Affleck, an upcoming studio album on the way, as well as a documentary and visual album for it, plus a planned tour. Over the months, it all came crashing down but she has just received some unexpected support for her documentary.
This Is Me… Now: A Love Story gives a fictionalized version of Lopez’s marriage to Affleck and is part of a three-part multimedia project she self-funded. Production cost around $20 million after she failed to find funding. The documentary premiered on Feb 12, 2-24 at the Dolby Theater and later released on Feb. 16 on Prime Video.
Her documentary received largely positive reviews, although she was slammed in the press. Further allegations claim that Affleck wasn’t happy that she shared their personal correspondence with her crew for inspiration, and many use the documentary as the beginning of the end of their relationship.
Jennifer Lopez received support from Lena Dunham
Girls creator Lena Dunham was one of the 65 directors who shared their favorite films of 2024 with IndieWire. In her piece, Dunham also singled out Lopez’s documentary as one of her favorites of the year.
Speaking about the documentary, Dunham called it “a rallying cry for over-sharers everywhere.” She also addressed the ongoing criticism over the “Let’s Get Loud” superstar’s personal life adding, “Justice for Jenny L, let her tell her story again and again!”
Some other choices were Kristen Stewart’s Love Lies Bleeding, Challengers, Babygirl, Civil War, A Family Affair, where she called Zac Efron a “comedic genius,” Wolfs, and The Bikeriders.
Dunham’s work and personal views have often attracted controversy and criticism. Girls, one of her most famous works, came under fire for nepotism, narcissism, and its view on race. Her comments about New York Giants Odell Beckham Jr. for looking at her didn’t end well, and she later shared an apology.
She also sided with Girls writer Murray Miller when 17-year-old Aurora Perrineau accused him of sexual assault. In the aftermath of #MeToo, she apologized again. Since her controversies, Dunham has mostly stayed out of the public eye and worked behind the scenes, while trying to improve her reputation.
When it comes to Jennifer Lopez, it looks like she can do no right, either. Often accused of being a “diva,” and “difficult to work with,” the public had turned on JLo a while back and hasn’t come around since. The public often slams her for “never being able to stay single,” amid her several divorces. The documentary and the visual album address her struggles and her “eternally hopeless romantic” persona, as she seemed to have found her happy ending with Affleck.
The public now knows that’s not true. Affleck reportedly left their home last spring, and the two spent the entire summer alone before Lopez filed for divorce in August on the second anniversary of their second wedding. Since then, the two remained on good terms and focused on their blended family, as their children are still very close. Lopez hasn’t openly dated anyone since the separation. Since This Is Me… Now: A Love Story, the superstar has received critical acclaim for her latest film, Unstoppable.
Published: Jan 1, 2025 02:24 pm