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Behind the Glow
On Scientology
The conversation turns to Scientology. "I know a lot of your friends are Scientologists," I say. "Your father has been a Scientologist for about 20 years ..."
"More than that now," she says.
"Scientologists don't believe in shrinks. Would you ever call on Scientology if you were having those problems again?" I ask.
"I do know a lot about Scientology. And I know about the practices. I know all about what the technology is and all that kind of stuff. It's very helpful. So in a sense, yeah, you do call on it."
"Do you consider yourself a Scientologist?"
"No."
"If you were, would you be open about it?"
"Yeah. I wouldn't have a problem saying it because I know what it is. I have no problems with it and it really actually bothers me that people have such a negative feeling towards it."
"That it is too exotic? Too cultish?"
"Just negative feelings."
"Would you consider schooling Emme and Max in a Scientology school?" I ask.
"Yeah. I wouldn't mind. Not at all. Because I know that the technologies that they have are very helpful… It's all about communication. That's the thing I really don't like about talking about this. I do know so many great people who do do it, who choose it as a lifestyle and really follow it and it is their religion…I just wish that people wouldn't judge it without knowing what it is."
Selling the Twins' Baby Pics
Emme and Max are already contributing to the Lopez empire, estimated at close to half a billion dollars. Earlier this year, Lopez and Anthony sold the rights to the newborns' photos to People magazine for an estimated $6 million. Any internal debate that she was using her babies as a commodity?
"No. No. I think one of the reasons that the price went so high is that we didn't want to do it for so long," says Lopez. "We weren't into it. I was like, no, I don't really want to. No. No way. But then it got to the point that you go, well, now you're being stupid with these offers… I thought I can set them up. I can put this away just for them."
"Did you give any of the money to charity?"
"We gave a little bit and I saved the rest for them."
"Don't their parents make enough money?" I ask. "I mean, according to Forbes you're the 9th richest female working in show business."
"Hmmm …" Lopez says. "I wouldn't believe everything I read."
On Diva-dom
Lopez's hyphenates include her movie career, her music, her television production company, her two fashion lines, her videos, her choreographic career, her sold-out concert appearances around the world with her husband, and her hugely profitable fragrance lines. "I'm up to seven or eight fragrances now," she says, having lost count.
Her nose for business all started with her selling bootlegged high-end perfume behind a tire store when she was growing up in the Bronx. It is when that tough little teenager still surfaces that can cause confusion to her detractors and the labeling of her as a controlling diva. She can, some claim, border on being a bully to make up for those times in her life when she was perhaps bullied herself.
"I think I've always been a favorite to pick on," she says. "Once you have a lot of success you become a target in many ways…I just think that the whole diva thing is a misrepresentation of who I am. I think some of that is because of where I came from. I came from the Bronx and a certain background. I worked really hard. I kept my focus on the right things. And still even with that they find stuff to pick on."
Lopez has always been driven to reinvent herself by the forces of her past. Indeed, one could claim that her vast business empire has been built on the memories of her days as a fancified bootlegger. Suddenly I realize, sitting here looking at her defend herself against an interloper like me, how wrong I have been about her. Though she is wearing all that orange, she is another of Fitzgerald's characters. The one who dared to wear pink. Whose seductive gaucheness permeated the story. Who had the newer bank account. She is not Buchanan. She's Gatsby.
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Kevin Sessums is the author of the New York Times bestseller Mississippi Sissy, a memoir of his childhood. He was executive editor of Andy Warhol's Interview magazine and a contributing editor of Vanity Fair and Allure. He is a contributing editor of Parade. His new memoir, I Left It on Mountain will be published by St. Martins Press.
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Kevin Sessums is the author of the New York Times bestseller Mississippi Sissy, a memoir of his childhood. He was executive editor of Andy Warhol's Interview magazine and a contributing editor of Vanity Fair and Allure. He is a contributing editor of Parade. His new memoir, I Left It on Mountain will be published by St. Martins Press.
Why harass Lopez about her breast-feeding choices? Sheesh. That's a personal decision that she shouldn't have to defend...as for the rest of the article, it could have been better written/edited -- I can see why a national magazine didn't use it.
I just love Jennifer Lopez! I've always admired her just for her. Anyone who can handle as much as she is handling and still be sane...I would like to know if you can name one? I've read alot about many stars and watched many of their interviews and jennifer lopez is the most down to earth person that I have ever seen. She's just adorable! She definitely is someone that I would love to have as a friend and I can't say that about too many actor/actresses (I'm stating this as her being a person, not a famous actress/singer, etc..). Thank you for letting me have the chance to post this... Congratulations to her and Anthony) on the birth of their twins! When I came home after the birth of my son, Jesse, I was constantly exhausted. I had a c-section also (he was breach), but I did breast feed. He weighed 5 lbs 9 oz when he was born and when I brought him home 2 days later, he weighed 5 lbs 1 oz! He was constantly hungry! I was down to 110 pds by the time he was 5 weeks old! I was so hum drummy that I was scared to leave the house because I was afraid I wouldn't remember how to get back home! Well, enough is enough. When it comes to kids, we could talk all day!
Regarding the six million dollars they received for the baby photos, Instead of, "Did you give any of the money to charity?" Kevin should have asked, "Did you pay any taxes on the Money?"
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Kevin Sessums once came to speak to the grad j-school at NYU. He said he attributed his success interviewing celebrities to a knack for "instant intimacy." I can see how that played out in this piece. I think it would have been refreshing to see it in Elle.
This so-called story is fatuous. This silly beginning to hyped blogojournalism brought up the awful specter of a brave new world of People-Lite.
J-LO - I know she's hate that now - she makes me gag. The money from the pix of her babies - they "gave a little." Reminds me of obnoxious song lyric of hers "Used to have a little; now I have a lot." Bet she does & she's not parting with it!
[Jennifer Lopez: Killing Her Brand One Interview at a Time?
Seems Jenny from the Block got a little too personal with an interviewer, and then tried to take it all back.
...]
http://popculturecurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2008/10/jennifer-lopez-killing -her-brand-one.html
Sessums thought he was getting literature points by bringing in the Great Gatsby angle. However, as any Fitzgerald fan knows, the book was about Great Neck and Sands Point. Lopez lives in Brookville, more than 10 miles away.
Lopez did actually allude to her "break down" in an interview with Jules Asner on E! in 2003. She had said that she was doing movies and videos on the weekend and "hit a wall" and "was like, I can't do this anymore." I think it was a difficult time for her more than anything, she was tired and working a lot, and needed a break. That's part of being a person, imagine that.
I have been told that there's no such thing as a "nervous" break down; a person's nerves don't "break down." Maybe Acute Stress Disorder or Adjustment Disorder with depressed mood. Many people go through those feelings without being diagnosed. I wish we could be more empathetic to the human condition and instead of being judgemental.
My instinct tells me that she doesn't have a nanny because you'd have to be stark raving mad to agree to work for J-lo.
this is such a mild mannred story. I cannot imagine why the magazine did not print it.
This ridicolous woman had pierced the ears of a four month old baby??? That's practically child abuse.
Um, how is this so terribly revealing?? I'm actually more turned off by the fact that she wouldn't want this published than I am by anything said in the article. As a mom of twins myself, I vividly remember those early days and she sounds entirely normal to me. What's the big deal?
Also, as for ear-piercing another poster mentioned: it's a cultural thing, not a "diva" thing. In some cultures little girls get their ears pierced as babies.
Well, I was grateful that she opened up about these things in her life and I don't think it was a bad choice to say the truth. Instead of putting on a make up, she told the reality of how she felt, and I think that can be helpful to other women. She is only human and it is not strange that she went through these things: being overworked etc. But it is very refreshing to hear someone speak candidly about it. She should not regret this interview.
This ridicolous woman had pierced the ears of a four month old baby??? That's practically child abuse. Are you "BUGGIN" lady! All my 3 daughters had there's done at 2 months! CHILD ABUSE? In my Culture we have it done at an early age And i was with my girls when my wife had it done and they never PEEPED! And to all of you that hate J-Lo Step off she has done well for herself and Her Fans Adore her! If you dont then why did you read the article? JEALOUS?
Thank you.
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