Jennifer Lopez On Why She Almost Quit Hollywood For Good
"I believed a lot of what they said, which is that I wasn't really good," she says in her new Netflix documentary.
By CHELSEY SANCHEZ - published
Today, Jennifer Lopez is known as one of the world's premier superstars—but as she reveals in her new documentary, that almost wasn't the case.
In Halftime, the Netflix film that explores her decades-spanning career as a giant in the entertainment industry, Lopez opens up about wanting to leave Hollywood for good. As she rose to prominence in the '90s, she recalls that she "had really low self-esteem" at the time due to the intense media scrutiny over her personal life, per NBC.
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"No matter what I achieved, [the media's] appetite to cover my personal life overshadowed everything," she says in the film. "I believed a lot of what they said, which is that I wasn't really good."
The film shows clips of various late-night shows seemingly mocking Lopez and her initial relationship with Ben Affleck. The couple dated and were engaged in the early 2000s, though they later broke up in 2004. Affleck and Lopez have since reignited their romance.
J.Lo and Ben Affleck in 2003. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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Available to stream now, "Halftime offers an intimate peek behind the curtain revealing the grit and determination that makes Jennifer Lopez the icon she is, from her performances onscreen and on stages around the world, to her Super Bowl halftime show, to the recent presidential inauguration," an official press release announcing the project reads.
It adds, "The documentary focuses on an international superstar who has inspired people for decades with her perseverance, creative brilliance, and cultural contributions. And it's only the beginning. Halftime serves as the kickoff to the second half of Lopez's life, as she lays bare her evolution as a Latina, a mother, and an artist, taking agency in her career and using her voice for a greater purpose."
This article originally appeared in Harper's BAZAAR US