Jennifer Lopez had some fun during a morning show appearance on Thursday to plug her romantic comedy Marry Me which comes out in a week.
The 52-year-old siren brought up Hoda Kotb’s recent split from fiancé Joel Schiffman when the Today show reporter pushed too hard for information on Jen’s on-again boyfriend Ben Affleck.
‘You don’t want to talk about your personal stuff? Is that what it is, Hoda?’ ribbed the Jenny From The Block singer who looked radiant in a green outfit with big gold earrings.
Showdown! Jennifer Lopez had some fun during a morning show appearance on Thursday to plug her romantic comedy Marry Me which comes out in a week. The 52-year-old siren brought up Hoda Kotb’s recent split from fiancé Joel Schiffman
There was plenty of laughter but clearly Lopez had taken the upper hand in the interview and Kotb squirmed with a delighted Savannah Guthrie calling the jab ‘mutually assured destruction.’
The exchange took place toward the end of the sit-down interview as Hoda held up Lopez’s recent People magazine cover.
Inside the Bronx native had talked about how much she loved her on-again beau Affleck.
But when Kotb held up the cover she put her hand over the corner, which was a news story on her breakup from Schiffman.
Going too far? Hoda was asked plenty of questions about Jen’s beau Ben Affleck; seen in December in Hollywood
Zinger! And that is when Lopez brought up Hoda’s split from fiancé Joel Schiffman; seen with ehir two kids
JLo was on to Hoda’s sneaky move.
‘Why are you trying to block out the corner? You don’t want to talk about your personal stuff? Is that what it is, Hoda?’ teased the mother of two who looked pleased with outing Hoda’s strategy.
Jennifer’s message was clear: it’s not fair that you want me to talk about Ben when you don’t want to discuss Joel.
All Hoda could say was, ‘Touche.’
But the ladies laughed it off in what was an unusual interview exchange.
Gotcha: ‘You don’t want to talk about your personal stuff? Is that what it is, Hoda?’ ribbed the Jenny From The Block singer who looked radiant in a green outfit with big gold earrings
The interview was not as smooth as one would have expected. Jennifer has been talking nonstop and to several outlets about her love for Ben but with Today she seemed to hold back.
When Hoda’s costar Savannah Guthrie took a hard approach, JLo seemed to recoil.
Savannah treated the interview very seriously as she went for the big question: how exactly did Jennifer reunite with Ben?
The start: The exchange took place toward the end of the sit-down interview as Hoda held up Lopez’s recent People magazine cover. Inside the Bronx native had talked about how much she loved her on-again beau Affleck
Smooth move: But then Kotb put her hand over the corner, which was a news story on her breakup from Schiffman
The two have never shared how, when or where they got back together in the spring of 2021.
Guthrie said: ‘I know you don’t necessarily want to spill your guts about something that is personal and belongs to you. … But I think so many people can relate to the one who got away or the one you always wondered about. How did you find each other again?’
Savannah was right: Lopez did not want to spill.
Jennifer looked a little guarded as she told the ladies if they wanted the story of how she got back together with Ben, they could hear it from her backstage and not with the cameras on.
I got you babe: Jennifer’s message was clear: it’s not fair that you want me to talk about Ben when you don’t want to discuss Joel. All Hoda could say was, ‘Touche’
The Second Act star then put her line in the sand.
‘I think what we learned from the last time is that love, when you are lucky enough to find it, is so sacred and special and you have to hold a little bit of that privately, and that’s what we’ve learned. But we’re very happy, if that’s what you’re wondering about,’ said Lopez.
That is when Hoda reached for the People magazine issue in which Jennifer had been more candid.
She went there: Savannah treated the interview very seriously as she went for the big question: how exactly did Jennifer reunite with Ben?
NOPE: The two have never shared how, when or where they got back together. Guthrie said: ‘How did you find each other again?’ Savannah was right: Lopez did not want to spill. Jennifer told the ladies if they wanted the story of how she got back together with Ben, they could hear it from her backstage
The interview ended with laughter and Hoda noted that JLo would be back on the show later with her Marry Me costar Maluma.
When JLo was back, she had on a snakeskin outfit with her hair back as she spoke to Hoda and Jenna Bush.
Maluma said he felt good to star in the film: ‘I always dream about this, acting, Hollywood… it was nice working with Jennifer for the first time.’
This is all you get: The Second Act star then put her line in the sand. ‘I think what we learned from the last time is that love, when you are lucky enough to find it, is so sacred and special and you have to hold a little bit of that privately, and that’s what we’ve learned. But we’re very happy, if that’s what you’re wondering about,’ said Lopez
Hoda brought up that the two had good chemistry and Maluma said it was ‘easy.’
And Maluma said he was a bit ‘nervous’ to work on the movie. ‘I loved working with them,’ he added.
Kotb brought up that the media talks about Jennifer’s character in the movie, and she said she ‘understood’ that.
She noted that even when she had heartbreak she still had to sing and perform and do the interviews.
‘You get to see what really happens,’ said Jennifer who noted she had to work through heartbreak in the past but that she plastered a smile on.
Part two: When JLo was back with her costar, she had on a snakeskin outfit with her hair back as she spoke to Hoda and Jenna Bush. Maluma said he felt good to star in the film: ‘I always dream about this, acting, Hollywood… it was nice working with Jennifer for the first time’
The setting: Hoda brought up that the two had good chemistry and Maluma said it was ‘easy.’ And Maluma said he was a bit ‘nervous’ to work on the movie. ‘I loved working with them,’ he added
Lopez was then asked about Ben again.
‘When Ben and I were younger and we were together, we were just out there with our relationship. When something is sacred like that and you put it out there, you kind of say to people it’s yours to do with what you want…We’re just at a different place in our life. We’re going to try to keep as much as we can sharing our happiness but at the same time keeping it very sacred and close to our own hearts.’
Hoda said having kids makes in a different ‘dynamic.’
She said her kids are now 13 – they will turn 14 in a matter of days – and ‘they have opinions about the world and their lives.’ She added, ‘You have to be conscious too to talk about your private life’ because the kids at school will say something. ‘It’s about being respectful to them,’ she noted.
Also during the interview Maluma noted that he was ‘single’ and did not have a girlfriend at the moment.
Hoda noted Jenny looked so ‘peaceful’ and Maluma said she had a ‘bright aura.’
It was also shared that Hoda has a small part in Marry Me.
The Ben question: Lopez was then asked about Ben again. ‘When Ben and I were younger and we were together, we were just out there with our relationship. When something is sacred like that and you put it out there, you kind of say to people it’s yours to do with what you want…We’re just at a different place in our life. We’re going to try to keep as much as we can sharing our happiness but at the same time keeping it very sacred and close to our own hearts’
Movie AND music: Not only is Marry Me a film but there is also a soundtrack with Maluma