On the outs? Jennifer Lopez and Leah Remini have been friends for more than a decade — but some fans have questions about where the pair currently stand.
Lopez and Remini met in 2004 when the singer started dating Marc Anthony. The King of Queens alum, who has been married to Angelo Pagán since 2003, recalled the first time she crossed paths with Anthony’s then-girlfriend at a red carpet premiere.
“So, we went to the premiere hoping she was gonna be ugly in real life,” the actress admitted to Entertainment Tonight in 2018. “And then, when I was approaching her, I was like, ‘I hope it’s the lighting. Maybe she just looks good in here,’ and as I got closer I was like, ‘Oh damn, there’s a lot of light right here and she looks really pretty.’”
The Dancing With the Stars alum recalled making a comment to Lopez about her looks. “I even said that!” Remini revealed. “I said, ‘Why the f—k? Why are you so f—king pretty?’ And she laughed. Then I was like, ‘Ugh, I hope she’s dumb,’ ya know? I was like, ‘She could be dumb!’ I wanted to find something [wrong with her] and I didn’t.”
Remini added that the Wedding Planner star’s “sense of humor” brought them together. “The fact that I could bust her balls and she wasn’t caught up on herself, said something to me,” she continued.
Lopez, for her part, remembered forming a quick bond with Remini. “It was one of those instant chemistry things, where you just feel like, ‘I love this person. I love being around this person. This person makes me laugh,’” she gushed during the joint interview. “She’s cool and we also have very similar upbringings. That’s why we work well together.”
The Selena star, who shares twins Emme and Max with Anthony, was married to the songwriter from 2004 to 2014. She reunited with Ben Affleck in 2021 following her split from fiancé Alex Rodriguez. Lopez and the Gone Girl actor tied the knot in Las Vegas in July 2022 and hosted a larger ceremony one month later in Georgia.
While Remini didn’t appear to attend Lopez’s August 2022 nuptials, she has continued to support her close friend over the years. The Emmy winner praised the Hustlers actress in 2020 while celebrating her birthday.
“To my beautiful, talented and fearless friend, I love you so very much. Wishing you a very happy birthday @jlo #throughtheyears #friendsthatarefamily #hitsquad #fbf,” she wrote via Instagram alongside several photos of herself and Lopez.
One year later, however, the Match Game panelist opened up about why she wanted to keep her friendship with Lopez out of the public eye.
“I don’t wanna give the idea that I don’t like talking about my friend, but it’s more about, like, when is she getting married?” Remini told Today in 2021 about refusing to discuss Lopez. “If I had that exact info, I don’t think I would tell you here. That’s not my place to be saying.”
When the “Let’s Get Loud” artist exchanged vows with Affleck for the second time, it was reported that Remini skipped the special event to take her daughter, Sofia, to college.
Rumors of a potential falling out between the BFFs continued when Remini showed her support for Anthony during his January 2023 wedding to Nadia Ferreira.
Scroll down for Remini and Lopez’s candid comments about their friendship:
