Jennifer Lynn Muñiz (née Lopez; born July 24,
1969) is an American actress, dancer, entrepreneur, fashion designer, film
producer, philanthropist, recording artist and spokeswoman. She became
interested in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry following a minor
role in the 1986 filmMy Little Girl, to the dismay of her Puerto Rican parents, who believed that it
was an unrealistic career route for a Hispanic. Following a move from The Bronx to Manhattan,
Lopez performed in regional stage productions, before touring with musicals in
Europe and Japan. She gained her first regular high-profile job as a Fly Girl dancer
on In Living Color in 1991, where she
remained a regular until she decided to pursue an acting career in 1993. Lopez
received her first leading role in the Selena biopic of the same
name in 1997. Following subsequent roles in the films Anaconda (1997)
and Out of Sight (1998), she ventured into the
music industry in 1999 with her debut studio album On the 6,
joining a select few in successfully converting from a film to music.
With the simultaneous release of her second studio album J.Lo and
her film The Wedding Planner in 2001, Lopez became
the first person to have a number one album and film in the same week. Her 2002
remix album, J to tha L–O! The Remixes, was the first
in history to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200.
Between the release of her third and fourth studio albums—This Is Me... Then (2002) and Rebirth (2005)—Lopez
took a break from her music career to focus on acting, starring in the films: Maid in
Manhattan (2002) and Shall We Dance? (2004). Her fifth
studio album, Como Ama una Mujer (2007), received the
highest first-week sales for a Spanish album in the United States. Lopez's
commercial success was severely damaged after the release of her sixth studio
album, Brave (2007). The album failed to
attain the success of her previous efforts and removed her from the music scene
until 2011, when she became a judge on the singing competition American Idol.
This venture allowed her to regain media attention and improved her success on
the music charts, with her single "On the Floor",
from her seventh studio album Love?,
showcased and released during this timespan, becoming her best-selling single
to date.
Lopez's public image and personal relationships have
attracted worldwide media attention. Her marriage to actor Ojani Noa was
proceeded by a series of lawsuits by Lopez, resulting from Noa's attempts to
sell private details of Lopez and their relationship. Following her marriage to
Noa, Lopez datedSean Combs, who accompanied Lopez to the 42nd Grammy Awards in 2000, where she wore
her infamous Green Versace dress. Lopez
became romantically involved with actor Ben Affleck,
while still married to her second husband Cris Judd,
during shooting of Gigli (2003), a film that is considered one of the worst of all time.
Lopez wed long-time friend Marc Anthony in
2004. Lopez gave birth to twins, Emme and Maximilian, in February 2008. People paid
a reported $6 million for the first photographs of the twins, which became the most expensive celebrity picture at
the time.
