Her too. Jennifer Lopez shared her own #MeToo story, recalling an experience she dealt with at the beginning of her acting career.
The Shades of Blue star, 48, shared her story with Harper’s Bazaar in an interview published on Thursday, March 15. “I haven’t been abused in the way some women have,” Lopez said. “But have I been told by a director to take off my shirt and show my boobs? Yes, I have. But did I do it? No, I did not.”
The Boy Next Door actress noted that though she was conflicted about reporting the incident, her tough New York upbringing inspired her to make a complaint. “When I did speak up, I was terrified,” she recalled to the publication. “I remember my heart beating out of my chest, thinking, ‘What did I do? This man is hiring me!’ It was one of my first movies. But in my mind, I knew the behavior wasn’t right. It could have gone either way for me. But I think ultimately the Bronx in me was like, ‘Nah, we’re not having it.’”
Lopez has recently been using her platform to bring attention to various issues. After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in December, the World of Dance judge donated $1 million to relief efforts and later headed to the island in January with boyfriend Alex Rodriguez to help. In a press conference during her visit, she also expressed her support for the Time’s Up Movement and for the actresses and women fighting for equality.
“We are humbled and proud to be a part of this effort. Today is the Golden Globes in Los Angeles and a lot of the women with #TimesUp are standing up for equality, to be treated equally and for sexual harassment,” she said in an Instagram video of her speech on January 7. “And I stand here today in black, doing the same from far away. And it’s the same thing here in Puerto Rico. We want to be treated equally.”
Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars arrived at the awards show wearing all black in support of sexual misconduct victims. The initiative was launched on New Year’s Day with the goal of raising money for a legal defense fund that helps those who have been affected by sexual misconduct, harassment, assault or abuse in the workplace. The movement was inspired by the wave of sexual misconduct allegations against men in the entertainment industry that hit Hollywood late last year.
