Derek Hough sent a good luck video to Jennifer Lopez before she performed the Super Bowl LIV halftime show in Miami on Sunday, February 2 — and it was all Alex Rodriguez’s idea, Hough exclusively revealed to Us Weekly.
“A-Rod sent me a text yesterday,” Hough, 34, told Us on Monday, February 3. “He was putting together a good luck video for her, and what a good dude, man.”
Hough was happy to send good vibes to his fellow World of Dance judge, 50. “Of course I made a video wishing her good luck, wishing her the best,” he said. “All the creative directors, everyone involved, I know all of them. … I’m just really happy for them all.”
As for the finished product, the former Dancing With the Stars pro had high praise for both Lopez and her coheadliner, Shakira. “Shakira was just a breath of fresh air — she just was in her moment, and it was so nice to see someone just enjoy it. She was having a good time,” he said. “And Jennifer was just so polished, a class act, I loved seeing her daughter sing! … It was so special, so cute. I loved it.”
Hough — who’s debuting his Vegas residency, Derek Hough: No Limit, in June, with tickets going on sale on Friday, February 7 — also told Us about all the effort behind Lopez and Shakira’s effortless dance moves.
“The easier it looks, the more work has been put into it, and the more difficult it actually is,” he said. “That’s why I just appreciated it a lot. I was really, really proud and just really excited. … What was really nice that I liked about it was that it wasn’t overly produced, I guess you could say. It was more about the performances, the dancing, the energy. I was just really happy for them. What an awesome performance.”
Rodriguez, 44, who’s been engaged to Lopez since March 2019, raved about the halftime show on Instagram on Sunday night. “AMAZING!” he wrote. “She ABSOLUTELY CRUSHED IT! Wow, that was so fun. I’m so proud of you, Jen!”
With reporting by Ingrid Meilan
