Jennifer Lopez is sorry that you criticized her for performing for dictators

Jennifer Lopez covers the October issue of Cosmopolitan and I’m embarrassed for her. For so many reasons. Let’s start with this embarrassing cover. I mean, I guess she deserves some credit for still hustling, hustling, hustling even though no one really cares. The rat’s nest hair is particularly disappointing, because Jennifer has pretty hair and her hair didn’t deserve this. As for the interview… she talks glowingly about Casper Smart, whom she refers to as “Beau” (it’s his name, but everyone knows him as Casper). She also tries to talk her way out of performing for oppressive dictators too:

Admitting that her appearance at the birthday party of the president of Turkmenistan earlier this year was a mistake: “I know that being seen as a role model means taking responsibility for all my actions. I am human, and of course, sometimes I make mistakes. But I promise that when I fall, I get back up. When I am wrong, I will learn the lesson and move on to face other challenges. For me, that’s what creating your own life is. Doing your best work while being your best self.”

On being the creative force in business meetings: “Everybody in there might be more business-minded, but for me, if I’m talking about marketing or promotion or why a piece of clothing is made, it all comes from an emotion. I’m more of an artist, so when I’m able to use that muscle, I feel like I’m in my element.”

On not feeling secure about herself until later in life: “It was after I had kids to be honest…The biggest insecurity I had was my singing. Even though I had sold 70 million records, there was this feeling like, I’m not good at this. And while I was married to Marc, he helped me get over it. He kept telling me, ‘You’re the only one holding yourself back from reaching your full potential as a singer. You have to let go’…I was always so insecure and just kind of going along. Then I grew, little by little, and realized, wait a minute, this is not a fluke. I’m not a mistake – I work my ass off. And I know what I’m doing.”

On her relationship with 26-year-old choreographer boyfriend Beau “Casper” Smart: “For me, it’s about having a great partner to walk this life with. I have my own high standards for what I want in a partner and how I want to be treated. I bring a lot to the table. I’m not talking about material things but what I have to offer as a person – love and loyalty and all the things that make a good relationship.”

When she commits to a man, she gives herself completely: “It’s funny, early on with Beau, I remember telling him how I have a real button on being ignored. And he was like, ‘Listen, if somebody ignores you, then forget them. They don’t deserve to have your attention.’ But it’s funny. Sometimes when we don’t get it, we try to get it in an negative way, you know?”

[From Cosmopolitan]

Her non-apology about the “performing for dictators” thing is what is. She’s not really sorry, she’s just sorry she got called out for it, and she’s trying to spin it into an inspirational tale of how she overcame great adversity – the adversity of being criticized for being paid millions of dollars to perform for terrible dictators.

But her quote about her relationship with Casper? Gross. “I have my own high standards for what I want in a partner and how I want to be treated. I bring a lot to the table.” How in the world does she not realize that she sounds like an idiot? Casper is a BACKUP DANCER. And he frequents massage parlors and there are lots of gay rumors. How does Casper meet those “high standards”? Why is she such an idiot about men?

Photos courtesy of Matthias Vriens-McGrath/Cosmopolitan and Gomillion and Leupold/Cosmopolitan.

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68 Responses to “Jennifer Lopez is sorry that you criticized her for performing for dictators”

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  1. Lucy says:

    I see nothing wrong with him being a back-up dancer, but yeah, she could do a lot better.

    • Lucija says:

      She likes him. It’s not like she needs someone who has money or a career or anything. Were the genders opposite, no one would care.

      • Shannon says:

        No she gives him 10 grand a month. She doesn’t need a man with money, but she pays her man to date her. Sad!!!

      • Bubbles says:

        How is that any different from, say, Lucy Damon? Does she have a job?

      • AMA1977 says:

        I hope this goes in the right place…in response to comparing Casper and Lucy Damon. Lucy Damon is doing the hard work of raising small children. She was also a working single mother when she met Matt Damon, not support staff on one of his movies. I don’t see the parallel you are trying to draw; one is a star’s spouse who occupies a traditional SAH role caring for home and children; the other lets his sugar mama pay him thousands to do nothing but try to meet her insatiable need for attention.

      • Tara says:

        Yeah it is fun/funny to laugh at this relationship but we dont know why they are together. I dont think JLo would have to pay any man to be with her, especially an unknown, not exactly handsome back-up dancer. She gives him so much cash/gifts because she is wealthy, wants him to have nice things, wants him to be happy and to flaunt her affection for and attachment to him. It doesnt have to be true love but it doesnt have to be a slimy giggolo situation either. There is middle ground and they just like hanging out. Being that she is a multimillionaire it would be weird if he were living like a bum.
        I dont get the attraction but I dont have to.

  2. Anna Scott says:

    If she is sorry, she should give the money to charity and then we will forgive her. Saying sorry and laughing her way to the bank is being a hypocrite

    • Nicolette says:

      Bingo!

    • Sloane Wyatt says:

      Yep!

    • Kat says:

      She can’t abuse charities to cleanse herself. They don’t exist to give errant stars a gloss of virtue. I’m tired of every single time a star attracts negative publicity, they throw a few quid at a charity and it’s all fine.

    • Shannon says:

      She’s not sorry. That was the lamest apology ever. Just shut up JLo.

    • OriginallyBlue says:

      So true. Also, from what I understand this is not the first time she has done it. So the apology is completely worthless.

    • erika says:

      “sorry im going to keep performing for satan’s possy…..if you catch me well…i’ll just get back up on my feet and do it again! i’m unstoppable! i’m jlo”

  3. aims says:

    She’s so needy it’s sad.

  4. ROBERTA says:

    The last picture is perfection. She looks great and her body is amazing. that being said she sounds so immature, I think sometimes she forgets she is almost 50 for god sake somebody help this woman. She speak likes a 15 years old girl. She is too caught up in the princess fairy tale at her age she should be looking for a partner not a toyboy.She is not setting the right example for her children.

    • UsedToBeLulu says:

      Unless she has lost significant weight, she has been photoshopped to hell in this spread.

      http://www.celebitchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/FFN_FLYNETUK_Lopez_Jen_071413_51154476.jpg

      • Hakura says:

        @UsedToBeLulu – Definitely used their ‘magic wand’ to ‘tweek’ away all those pesky ‘imperfections’ that come w/being 3 dimensional (…I almost typed ‘twerk‘, God help me (✖╭╮✖) )

        LOL- Wow, that facial expression is almost approaching the level of Queen Bey’s (during her Superbowl performance.) Almost.

        But what it (her expression) really reminded me of was ‘Derpy’. (Any “MLP” fan will probably get the reference *:・゚✧-(◕‿-)-*:・゚✧ )

    • Joh says:

      Her breasts could be down to her knees in that last pic…..
      That is what bustiers do?
      Legs are WAY photoshopped.

  5. Nic says:

    She’s not sorry and she’ll do it again.

    She was a backup dancer, so I guess they have a lot in common.

  6. Scarlet Vixen says:

    Has anyone else seen that Harry Connick, Jr has been named as a judge on American Idol this season??

    • Dawn says:

      Nope I haven’t heard that but then I haven’t paid AI any attention since that Fantasia person won. She beat out J-Hudson, come on now! If I watch any type of reality singing show it will be The Voice. I doubt that AI’s fan base will even know who Harry is. I wish he would just stick with acting and singing, I don’t know what will help AI but I don’t think he is it.

  7. QQ says:

    ROTFLMAO at The Renaming of Butterface!! Bitch are you CRAZY?!?

    Uh Of course you bring a Lot to the table you are rich with a Banging Body … What does HE bring Besides questionable …everything? Jackass!

    Also: Stay Insecure on that singing Hun; You.Are.Not.Good

    • Faye says:

      LOL! You have a way of summarizing events that captures their essence and makes me laugh at the same time.

    • Brooke says:

      This made my day!

    • Hakura says:

      @QQ – “What does HE bring Besides questionable …everything? Jackass!

      I imagine he’d bring a completely organized closet, sorted by designer/season. He’d want his living space to be nice & tidy, after all… Especially seeing as she forbade him to leave it.

      But I’m sure JLo, in all her benevolent wisdom (& concern for human rights (¬_¬) ), provided him w/a platinum collar & a ‘top of the line’ doggie bed.

      (YES. I DID just have an image of Casper in a bondage harness (wearing a platinum & gemstone collar) being walked on a leash by JLo, strutting down the sidewalk in NYC or LA, covered in designer wear, including sky-high Louboutin stilettos. NO. I cannot seem to get it out of my head. (-’_’-) )

  8. megs283 says:

    That cover is so…ick. Yes, you have a banging body, but try to look a little mature! It’s like the Miley school of sexuality…leaving it all on the table.

    • Joh says:

      Many many many people have great bodies into their 50s
      Genetics and taking care.
      she is starting to turn to jelly mush…..
      .lighting, makeup, photoshop, good photogs all conspire to make all you perfectly fab women feel less then,,,,,Don’t buy the hype, she is not your friend,
      Men do the same crap with steroids to get the look, but they miss most of the wonder of life by only focusing on impressing others.
      Be you and ignore the whores, both male and female!

  9. Mar says:

    70 million records?? Geez what the hell is wrong with people?

    • dena says:

      She said:
      The biggest insecurity I had was my singing. Even though I had sold 70 million records, there was this feeling like, I’m not good at this.

      . . . and therefore I should stop.

  10. dorothy says:

    Easy to be sorry after you’ve already cashed the check.

  11. Sunny :) says:

    Lopez isn’t an idiot about men; men are idiots about her. I mean, she’s beautiful and has a rockin’ bod for her age, don’t get me wrong…but to seriously put yourself in a relationship with someone like that is a pretty dumb error. No smart man would actually think that hearing all the stupid things she says on an hourly basis indefinitely is worth it.

    I don’t think it’s fair to rag on her about the age difference, though. Plenty of male celebrities parade themselves about with the latest models of girls who could be their (grand)daughters, with nary a second glance from the public. But when a woman gets an age-inappropriate boy toy? Suddenly that is Very Serious News. I’m not approving the massive age gap in the relationship, just pointing out the sexism and hypocrisy involved.

    • phillkatt says:

      I agree. The names of men who date/procreate with women young enough to be their daughters is endless. Yet when a woman does it it’s a scandal.

      Personally, however, I think it’s creepy to date someone young enough to be your son or daughter, much less grandson or grandaughter. Yeech!

  12. Faye says:

    She and Kanye can join a “we’re so misunderstood” dictator-for-hire entertaininers club.

    I can never figure out if she’s totally egomaniacal, really insecure, or both. Even when she’s talking about her alleged insecurities, she has to throw in the 70 million albums and talk about how Marc told her she was a gifted singer. It’s so exhausting. If you want to be a diva who’s full of herself and thinks she’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, own it. Don’t try to do that *and* talk about how you needed reassurance.

  13. Sarah says:

    But the REAL story of that cover is that her mouth is closed! Hallelujah!

  14. paige says:

    WOW…REALLY?? on every count
    – her ego is mesmerizing…this is so beyond embarrassing…
    i’m just -really ??
    is she INSANE?
    someone needs to throw a blanket over me or something.

  15. shitler says:

    Can we see proof of these 70 millio n records sold? I don’t know a single person who’s ever bought a jlo record

  16. shitler says:

    You still can’t sing jho

  17. Post-Its says:

    I want to know what scary thing 90% of men fantasize about…

  18. Joh says:

    She is a backup dancer who had sex with the right people and became a name after being involved in a night club shooting.Can’ name a single song of hers, but the Fiat ads she did were pitiful and she was dropped really quickly.She looks okay, but who doesn’t with the stylists and “work”she had done.
    She will not age well, meaning the surgeries will continue but she will become more and more desperate and graceless
    Just another low rent celebrity.
    She and Madonna will be taking their tours to nursing homes!

  19. Holden says:

    She actually never really apologizes or admits it was a mistake, she just spit out some cliche about falling and getting back up something about creating a best life, blah blah, vomit.

  20. velourazure says:

    She’s a strange one. She appears to have an overload of self-esteem yet continues to make shi**y life choices.

  21. Jayna says:

    Somebody cares. She signed a 17 million dollar deal with AI again. Although, true, with her budget boy toy, she doesn’t garner the type of interest anymore like she once did with P Diddy or Ben Affleck or Marc Anthony. I see she has changed Casper from a name he goes by to something she can stomach calling him. He probably hasn’t gone by Beau since he was a kid.

  22. Kat says:

    This trick needs to retire, already.

  23. TheOneAndOnlyOnly says:

    Oh for the days when supermodels were on the cover;
    And what’s this about a role model; Hah, a role model for what – how to wear sparkly, ill-fitting spandex.
    She and casper need to go outside and play on their Big Wheels.

  24. Virgilia Coriolanus says:

    Generally, I don’t really care what the age difference is between two people—just as long as they’re legal, and the younger person isn’t someone who still acts like a kid. Like when there are age differences, I want the younger person to be Annette Bening. Or Angelina Jolie–male or female.

    But I was faced with this a few months ago. My uncle–who is exactly like my shamefuck, Leo (ex: intelligent-he’s a bank president at 34, handsome, kind, awesome-he always has a huge table filled with books, because he buys reading lists off the internet, he likes to play xbox and all that crap, AND he is a total womanizer–he’s had two serious relationships in ten years, other than that arm candy)–brought an EIGHTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL to a family reunion.

    She was MY AGE, and she sat there giggling and simpering like a freaking middle schooler. I’m like Uncle she’s my age, that’s gross……

    Anyway, so that’s when age differences creep me out. When it’s an immature relationship, on both their parts. That’s the way it seems with Caspar, especially as it seems she’s trying to legitimize their relationship. Because if she was okay with him just being one of her backup dancers, she wouldn’t be giving him (fake)job titles, putting him in the front of the line up and so on.

    • Mina says:

      I feel for you and your weird uncle.

      • Virgilia Coriolanus says:

        I mean I love my uncle, but the same issue I have with him is the same one I have with my shamef*ck—both are handsome, intelligent, generally awesome, nice guys—who don’t want serious relationships. Which would be fine, if they didn’t date vapid little girls. Which to be clear, that was the first time he’d ever brought a teenager to a family function, so I have no clue if he makes a habit of going around for some just barely “adult” strange.

        But my point was I never fully got why people didn’t like age differences, until he brought this girl (whose name I don’t know and won’t ever because she was a bootycall/date) and I was like ‘whoa!’.

        But that’s what kind of creeps me out about Jlo and Caspar. She’s trying to legitimize him, trying to make him seem like he’s this amazing, revolutionary dancer/choreographer (in my opinion, in a subtle way–i.e. the whole “head” choreographer business), but he’s not. He’s a backup dancer with a nice body.

        THAT’S IT. If she would accept that and either say “yeah, I’m just having fun” (or don’t talk about it at all in public, because you don’t have to acknowledge bootycall in public) OR say something along the lines of “yeah, i’m happy dating someone who has time for me, and that’s all that matters right now”.

        Not that bs that she’s letting him get into—being interviewed because at this point he’s a budget Justin Theroux about a year and half ago, putting him at the forefront of her shows, and giving him a title he clearly did not earn (at least by merit)….

        She’s trying to make him into something he’s not. If she would’ve laid off with the above, then the only thing I would criticize her for was that she didn’t choose a prettier one for us to look at and be jealous over—like Madonna and Brahim (or was it Jesus?)–whichever one, he was hawt.

  25. Marta says:

    She sounds very stupid.

  26. Maritza says:

    She’s happy and enjoys his company and apparently he treats her with respect and admiration. She’s the boss in this relationship, just like she likes it.

  27. lisa says:

    she’s very arrogant but i think a person without talent has to be arrogant to succeed

    she has no talent for singing or dancing but she is a genius at pushing herself into the right place at the right time

  28. Rux says:

    “Idiot” they would be insulted by her……i don’t know…a new word needs to be invented for her stupidity/cluelessness/rosetintedglasses/passive-aggressive/narcissm/delusion towards men.

  29. LaurieH says:

    Oh, where to start? Let’s start with the fact that Jennifer Lopez is too old to be on the cover of Cosmopolitan. Officially, the magazine is targeted at women 18 to 39, but leaf through it and it’s more like the 18 to 25 single set – which is totally fine – but Jennifer is a 44 year-old mother of two and so it doesn’t exactly read “dignified”. Then again, maybe it makes perfect sense because her relationship with Casper Smart isn’t all that dignified either.

    • paige says:

      i have to disagree with the age thing….i think the only prerequest for such an undignified magazine as cosmo is to be hot and she certainly is, (although this shoot is especially tired and cheap looking.) you can still be older and appeal to that demographic. i think alot of younger woman look at her and think if they work that hard they can look good when they’re her age…
      as far as the casper thing -i think you’re spot on….

  30. Kim1 says:

    Put down the Haterade, JLo is a beautiful triple threat, she is a successful businesswoman.She has never been accused of being, high, drunk, arrested, being unprofessional, etc.I cant wait for new season of AI with her and Harry

  31. Str8Shooter says:

    Jenny from the Eastern Bloc!

    What a non-apology that was! I love how she managed to paint herself as a ‘victim’ for being called out for performing for a dictator and pocketing all of the money.

  32. Ally says:

    I don’t get it either, and it’s not his age or back-up dancing. They’re incongruous-looking. If he looked like Joe Manganiello or something, no one would care or would be congratulating her.

    I guess you have to give her credit for not being superficial. She really is willing to commit to some pretty homely fellas (this knob-head, and skeletor Marc Anthony beforehand).

    It actually shows confidence that at her age and success, she’s not knocking herself out still trying to land a man at her career level. It’s not gonna happen — they’re all dating their own 20-, 30-somethings.

    As for the money, she either gives him a lump sum, or he’s gonna have to ask her for change every time he wants a $50 cocktail in Cannes. It’s not like they’re gonna hang out in his 2-bedroom walk-up in the Valley.

    It’s just that he looks so dim and goofy.

  33. Adrien says:

    Her ex is about to play Batman and she’s with a guy who’s in Honey 2. Some high standards right there. For some reasons, I like Casper. He’s a very talented dancer and he’s pretty funny but he’s not someone I’d consider a catch. I don’t think anyone is envious of JLo right now.

  34. lisa2 says:

    I thinks she needs American Idol way more than they need her. I don’t care what anyone says. He last album.. Other than the song with Pitbull I don’t remember any of the songs.. dang I don’t recall the one with PB.

    I actually wish she as not going to be on AI. When she was on it before the show as used for her self promotion and her promotion of her relationship. I see Casper helping on the show too. A part of the deal.

    I just can’t watch AI anymore. All about the judges and not the talent. I don’t ever recall who won the last one. Sad.

  35. Jordyn says:

    I definitely read the name as Jennifer Lawrence and was like WTF until I got to the name Casper Smart.

  36. Jerry says:

    The Human Rights Foundation has released a statement slamming pop star Jennifer Lopez for receiving “$10 million for serenading crooks and dictators from Eastern Europe and Russia.” The same dictator country that the United States is going into war with in Syria that are killing men, women and children. HRF is a human rights organization, which questions 5 recent performances by the singer.

    Lists of the Jennifer Lopez 5 performances to Easter European Dictators that she claims she has no knowledge of human rights issues of any kind, she would not have attended,'”

    • In July 2011, Lopez was paid $1 million by corrupt Uzbek industrialist Azam Aslanov to perform at the wedding of his son. One of the guests at the wedding was Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov. Prior to this, Lopez was paid $1.4 million to perform at the birthday celebration in Moscow of a businessman engaged in widely reported acts of corruption: Russian oligarch Telman Ismailov.

    ◦ In September 2012, Lopez was booked by the dictatorship of Azerbaijan to perform at a FIFA soccer tournament. The fee was reportedly $2.5 million. While
    in the capital city of Baku, Lopez’s representatives met with the dictator’s wife and began negotiating a contract to put together a music festival in Azerbaijan in partnership with Los Angeles-based Creative Artists Agency. The event was initially planned for September 2013 but has been rescheduled to 2014.

    ◦ In October 2012, Lopez traveled to Belarus, the only dictatorship in Europe, where she performed a leg of her world tour.Details of her stay in Minsk and her engagements are not public record, and the Lopez team has ignored requests for comment on the matter.
    ◦ In November 2012, Lopez traveled to Russia, where she was scheduled to sing happy birthday to Alexander Yolkin, a Russian bureaucrat accused of corruption. Yolkin was arrested the day before Lopez’s performance at his birthday party. Russian media claim that the reported $2 million paid to Lopez was the product of kickbacks and bribery schemes. It is not known if Lopez returned the fee.

    In June 29, 2013-Jennifer Lopez’s performance at Turkmen dictator Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov’s birthday celebration.

    I think someone has a problem with the truth.