news archives

August 30, 2003 - The New York Post quizzed Jennifer Lopez's rep about why the singer backed out of the MTV Video Music Awards, and whether the chance to kiss Madonna had anything to do with leaving the duties instead to Christina Aguilera. "She wanted to do the VMAs really badly but couldn't fit the rehearsals into her reshoot schedule," the rep said, referring to 'Shall We Dance', which she was shooting in Winnipeg.

August 29, 2003 - The New York Post reports former construction worker turned dancer Maureen Marder, whom Jennifer Beals' 'Flashdance' character is based - plans to sue Jennifer Lopez for theft of intellectual property featured in her 'I'm Glad' video. "I was stunned and phoned Paramount who told me they had no authorization," Marder tells The Post. "They have the right to sell it but since J.Lo didn't go through the proper channels, they have to contend with me because I have a parallel claim."

August 29, 2003 - The Enquirer reports Jennifer Lopez is furious at actress Shannen Doherty after she attended Ben Affleck's 31st birthday bash at Concorde in Hollywood and planted a sloppy wet kiss on her fiance's lips. J.Lo did a slow burn as an insider explained, "Then to make things worse, Shannen surprised Ben with her birthday present - sexy gadgets from the erotic gift shop the Pleasure Chest. Jennifer wasn't pleased. She pretty much gave Shannen the cold shoulder - and watched Ben like a hawk for the rest of the night!"

August 29, 2003 - According to a pal of Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez is seething at the actor and plans on dumping him at the altar. "You can't believe how angry J.Lo is over the stripper incident," the pal revealed. "No matter how far the wedding plans have progressed, all Jennifer is doing is going through the motions." Despite all the preparations ahead of the big wedding, insiders say the diva won't forgive Ben for publicly humiliating her. "I wouldn't be surprised," said the pal, "if she literally leaves him standing on the altar alone."

August 28, 2003 - Teenage girls don't care what block she's from, they only want to know where Jennifer Lopez shops. Teen boys, on the other hand, are hoping to get *NSYNC with Justin Timberlake's fashion sense. In a nationwide survey of 2,000 teen shoppers, General Growth Properties, one of the country's largest shopping center owners, developers and managers, as well as a premier retail industry research company, has released its Top 10 list of fashionable celebrities teenagers will be dressing like this back-to- school season. Check out the entire male and female top 10 here.

August 28, 2003 - The Sun has a photo of Jennifer Lopez on the movie set of 'Shall We Dance' in Winnipeg wearing a backless canary yellow gown. Check it out here.

August 28, 2003 - Globe magazine reports Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are looking to buy their seventh home in the Vancouver area. The couple have been shooting separate films in Canada and have confided to pals that they love the "beautiful scenery and great shopping" there and are searching for a "summer pad" in Kitsalano, a trendy beach town in Vancouver's west end.

August 28, 2003 - Access Hollywood caught up with Jennifer Lopez to talk about her film 'Shall We Dance' and reports she was going to perform with Britney Spears and Madonna at the Video Music Awards -- which she gave a sort of spaced out denial to. Watch a video clip here.

August 27, 2003 - Access Hollywood reports that when Ben Affleck tossed out the ceremonial first pitch at the August 23rd Red Sox game versus the Mariners at Fenway Park in Boston, the actor threw everyone for a curve ball by sporting what looked suspiciously like a wedding band on the "ring" finger of his left hand, fueling rumors that he and Jennifer Lopez may have secretly tied the knot. Read more.

August 27, 2003 - WENN reports Ben Affleck is determined to prove that he and fiance Jennifer Lopez aren't the new Madonna and Sean Penn by making their marriage work. "I understand what happens," he said. "I made that agreement when I became an actor. Sean Penn was married to Madonna when I was 15 years old, and I was aware that the media got crazy about stuff like that. I didn't think I'd ever become that person, but I can't say that I was duped, or tricked or didn't know that there was this side of the media. If you let it get to you it can ruin everything."

August 27, 2003 - Jennifer Lopez and fiance Ben Affleck were photographed leaving their hotel in downtown Manhattan and spending the day shopping on 14th Street. J.Lo and Ben are in town for the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, despite reports that she was to miss the event while filming 'Shall We Dance'. Check out the pictures here.

August 27, 2003 - Steven Cojocaru travelled back to his Canadian home turf to chat it up with Jennifer Lopez in Winnipeg on the set of her new movie 'Shall We Dance' with Richard Gere. "It really is a feel-good movie about finding passion in your life and re-igniting that in yourself," Jennifer told Cojo. "We all get in those humdrum routines sometimes, and you just need something, and dance is a beautiful thing." Read more and watch a video clip here.

August 27, 2003 - Jennifer Lopez is featured in the September 2003 issue of Stuff magazine as part of their Latina Lustapalooza segment. J.Lo says, "It's weird how guys think that passing gas is the funniest thing in the world. They love to do that in front of girls and laugh about it."

August 25, 2003 - Jennifer Lopez may be thankful she's filming in Canada during Thursday's MTV Video Music Awards, as the Glasgow Daily Record reports the show's host Chris Rock will be making mincemeat of her latest release 'Gigli' featuring her fiance Ben Affleck. "J.Lo and her man are always going to be popular targets and I'm not going to argue with that," the comedian remarked.

August 25, 2003 - The New York Post reports that despite Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez showing up to Madonna's birthday bash, neither have plans to perform with the singer at the MTV Video Music Awards on Thursday. "Jennifer is working on her movie in Canada," a pal of hers explained. Britney Spears will be in the audience, but won't be performing for her friend Madonna. "She will be there, but as of right now, there are no plans for her to sing," another source told the Post. New rumors indicating that Courtney Love, Mariah Carey, Lil' Kim and Kelly Clarkson will perform at the awards show.

August 23, 2003 - Free writes "On Access Hollywood, they just said that rumor that Jennifer Lopez is part of the Video Music Awards performance reportedly featuring Britney Spears and Madonna is false, according to J.Lo's rep."

August 23, 2003 - Madonna's 45th birthday party at her Beverly Hills mansion last weekend saw final discussions taking place about the performance the Material Girl would give at the MTV Video Music Awards with Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez. "It was a fun event but there was still time for some business," a source close to Madonna tells the Evening Standard. "Madonna, Jennifer and Britney talked about the performance and how it would work." The three tried to keep the plans secret, but news leaked after rehearsals began earlier this week. Read more.

August 21, 2003 - UBritney.com has a video clip from Extra which profiled Ben Affleck's 31st birthday bash attended by fiance Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears, who left Dolce's with new rumored flame Jared Leto. They also have clips of Britney and J.Lo headed to Madonna's home, as rumors emerge the power trio will perform at this year's Video Music Awards together in a tribute to the Material Girl. Download and watch the clip, which includes comments from Us Weekly's Tim Baker, here.

August 21, 2003 - The Sun has obtained details of Jennifer Lopez's wedding with Ben Affleck that they claim will occur on the weekend of September 13 and 14, likely in Kauai. "The wedding promises to be one of the biggest events in modern-day showbiz history," an insider involved with organizing the event said. "There will be some very famous people among the congregation, some even more famous than the happy couple. Every last thing is being planned in minute detail to make sure Jen is happy with her special day." Read more.

August 21, 2003 - Heat magazine reports Jennifer Lopez is so upset about fiance Ben Affleck's controversial strip club visit, she's turned to the ex boyfriend Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs. "They have been on the phone constantly since the scandal broke," a source revealed. "And watching the way she smiled as she talked to him, it was clear she was really pleased to hear from him. She is crying on P. Diddy's shoulder. She's far more upset about this whole incident than she would ever let on." The move apparently has gotten Affleck's attention, as he reportedly snapped at a recent party when asked where J.Lo was: "She's probably with P. Diddy."

August 21, 2003 - Mavrix Photo has pictures of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck being mobbed by photographers as they leave the Concord nightclub in Hollywood, California where she threw a 31st birthday party for him. Check out the pictures here.

August 19, 2003 - Jennifer Lopez was on hand to celebrate the 31st birthday of her fiance Ben Affleck at the White Lotus Restaurant and Club in Los Angeles on Saturday (August 16). Check out pictures from RexFeatures and LFI.

August 19, 2003 - The Mirror reports Ben Affleck stayed close to fiance Jennifer Lopez last week on the set of her new film 'Shall We Dance' in Winnipeg, before they boarded a private jet to Los Angeles over the weekend where they celebrated Ben's 31st birthday. "He got up every morning and went to the set with her and that's all he did. He certainly wasn't hanging around strip clubs," an insider remarked. "They've both been really busy making movies back-to-back and it has hurt them. By Ben spending his birthday by her side while she worked, he was showing he wants to change." Read more.

August 19, 2003 - Inspiredsilver.com is offering a 5ct emerald cut pink cubic zirconia inspired by the engagement ring Jennifer Lopez received from Ben Affleck from Harry Winston, which reportedly set back Affleck $1.2 million. Their ring is $39.95 (and $33.95 if you click this link). Check it out here.

August 18, 2003 - Jennifer Lopez and fiance Ben Affleck spoke with the Associated Press as they arrived for the premiere of their box office dud 'Gigli' in Los Angeles last month. Listen to their comments here.

August 18, 2003 - ballersfantasy writes "Christina Aguilera, Ja Rule, Jennifer Lopez, Craig David, Good Charlotte and other celebrities weigh in on the gender gap and how it affects the differences between the sexes on MTV's 'Fight For Your Rights: Busting The Double Standard'. The show takes an in-depth look at the double standard that exists between guys and girls when it comes to dating and sexual relationships. The first half-hour will deal with the girl's side of the gender gap, exploring what it means to be a lady and how sexuality does not fit into that picture. It will also take a look at how an emerging female sexuality in pop culture is not necessarily trickling down to real girls' lives. The second half-hour, it's the guys' turn, the mold that they're supposed to fit into: tall, strong, aggressive, and all about the ladies. Tune in on Monday, August 18, at 6 pm ET/PT." 

August 16, 2003 - With Jennifer Lopez's ex-hubby Cris Judd and current fiance Ben Affleck both sharing a birthday today, the Boston Herald spoke with Darrell Martinie, who says J.Lo's a serial Leo-izer. "Well, she definitely looks for the more-flamboyant, showbizzy types," he said. "But the danger is she's going to confuse a lot of hoopla and bravado for being sincere." Read more.

August 16, 2003 - Jay Leno again joked about the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring box office dud 'Gigli' during his Tonight Show monologue on Friday night. Jay joked, "Man, did you -- did you see New York in the blackout? That was scary. There were so many people on the streets in Times Square, a confused Dick Clark showed up, tried to get a countdown going. [Laughter] And the footage -- thousands of people walking down Broadway. Is that something? It was like was like every movie theater was showing 'Gigli.' You know, thousands of people just walking, walking -- trying to get away."

August 15, 2003 - Pals of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are weighing in to Star magazine on whether their engagement can survive Ben's alleged oral sex with a Vancouver stripper. A J.Lo galpal remarked, "A little touching, a little feeling, a little licking may have happened, but there was NO sex." Still, others insist trouble is there. "Jen's mom, Lupe is furious. She says it's a matter of family pride and dignity," another pal remarked. Another added, "No one thought Ben was capable of a betrayal like this. Her close friends and family are reeling -- and I dont' think they would attend a wedding if it took place now!"

August 14, 2003 - Conan O'Brien joked about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's stinker of a movie yet again during his Late Night monologue on Tuesday night. Conan says, "Despite rumors, Ben Affleck and J.Lo are still getting married. They want to have a small service, so they are inviting everyone that saw 'Gigli'."

August 14, 2003 - Joe Budden spoke with AllHipHop.com about working with Jennifer Lopez on on the remix single to 'The One', and was full of praise for the diva. "She's the coolest chick you could ever meet," Budden said. "She's very down to Earth, very humble, very focused. She was just ill - everything about her. I am Glad I had the chance to work with her... not to mention, she's fine as sh**." Read more. 

August 14, 2003 - According to the Borrowitz Report, Miramax Pictures, producers of the upcoming film 'Jersey Girl' starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, confirmed today that J.Lo was being "digitally extracted" from the film and replaced by Nemo, the animated fish from this summer's blockbuster 'Finding Nemo.' Spokeswoman Helen Lessick explained, "This has nothing to do with 'Gigli' and everything to do with the fabulous chemistry between Ben and Nemo." Read more.

August 14, 2003 - Jay Leno joked about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's stinker of a movie yet again during his Tonight Show monologue on Tuesday night. Leno says, "Studio execs say they're looking forward to 'Gigli' opening overseas. They don't think it's going to make any money; they just are looking forward to seeing it go overseas."

August 14, 2003 - 'Jersey Girl' director Kevin Smith is going after the New York Times. In the wake of the 'Gigli' fiasco, the paper ran an article saying that Jennifer Lopez’s role in 'Jersey Girl' is being minimized. "Believe it or not, I’m not a crybaby in real life," Smith writes. "But if you don’t try to correct sh** like this right away, fiction becomes fact faster than a ‘Gigli’ box office run." Read more.

August 14, 2003 - MusicChic writes "Jennifer Lopez hosted Detroit's 'Channel 95.5 FM' afternoon radio show on Monday (August 11)." Read more.

August 13, 2003 - The Boston Herald reports Ben Affleck will be back home in Boston on August 22nd to throw out the first pitch at the Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners baseball game, and they expect Jennifer Lopez to be joining him. The paper also is speculating about a Labor Day weekend marriage. Read more.

August 13, 2003 - Ben Affleck stopped by the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Monday to promote his 'Project Greenlight' movie 'The Battle of Shaker Heights', though he mainly talked about the dismal failure of his latest movie 'Gigli' with Jennifer Lopez and reports that had him at a strip club in Canada. Ben read off some of the worst reviews 'Gigli' got and conceded that because of the strip club incident, he won't be able to have a bachelor party. Read on for a rough transcript.

August 13, 2003 - The New York Post reports Jennifer Lopez is going ahead with plans to marry Ben Affleck despite reports that he cheated on her with strippers in Vancouver. "Jennifer has asked Vera Wang to design her wedding dress," a pal of the designer confided. "She didn't give Vera a date, but said the dress has to be ready by August 24th. Jennifer also asked Vera to recommend a wedding outfit designer for Ben [Affleck]." A source said, "There doesn't seem to be a tape [of the stripper incident], so Jennifer doesn't believe it happened." Read more.

August 13, 2003 - The New York Post hears that Entertainment Tonight refused to do an interview with Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck for 'Gigli' because producers knew it would be a bomb and "didn't want to be associated with it."

August 13, 2003 - David Letterman joked about the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring 'Gigli' during his Late Show monologue on Friday. Dave said, "Have you gone out to see 'Gigli' yet? (silence) It’s the new J. Lo and Ben movie. It’s the summer blockbuster…well really it’s not doing so well. In fact it’s now known as 'Dude Where’s My Refund?'"

August 13, 2003 - Reuters reports that Ben Affleck blamed a "perfect storm" of tabloid news, negative Internet buzz, and a just plain bad movie to the spectacular failure of 'Gigli' which featured his fiance Jennifer Lopez. "(The movie) wasn't good and we got buried," Affleck told reporters at an interview for the upcoming film, 'The Battle of Shaker Heights.' "I think there is good work in it, scene by scene. I think the acting is good -- it's a different character for me, but I don't think ultimately the movie held up as a whole." Affleck refused to address his recent visit to a strip club where strippers have alleged he engaged in sexual acts with them. Read more.

August 13, 2003 - Bill Zwecker of the Chicago Sun-Times caught up with Cris Judd at the Marshall Field's Glamorama at the Chicago Theatre on Friday night. When he asked about ex-wife Jennifer Lopez and her new fiance Ben Affleck, Judd was mum but did admit that "it is nice going to the supermarket these days and not seeing my face plastered on the front of every tabloid in the checkout lines!" Asked about the best fashion tip he ever got, the Judd exclaimed, " 'Wear this!' I love it when someone just says that. It makes it so easy." Read more.

August 13, 2003 -  Bill O'Reilly's column this week focuses on the failure of the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck movie 'Gigli'. O'Reilly writes, "I believe Ms. Lopez and Mr. Affleck have severely worn their welcome. Their in-your-face love affair has become obnoxious. They, themselves, have become tabloid cartoons and have lost credibility among those who are not really interested in salacious gossip. The careers of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton nose-dived after the 'Cleopatra' soap opera and I could give you dozens of other examples of famous people who have damaged themselves after marketing their personal lives. It never works." Read more.

August 13, 2003 - The Sunday People reports that stories saying Ben Affleck has disappointed his fiance Jennifer Lopez by cavorting with a stripper are no surprise to his ex-girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow. "His ideal woman," she sniffed to friends last week, "would be a stripper with a Budweiser in each hand."

August 11, 2003 - The New York Daily News spoke with a photographer after Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were photographed kissing during a workout at the end of the week in Winnipeg. "They don't seem to mind being photographed," said the unnamed snapper. "Everything they do is public relations." The flap between the pair has been blown out of proportion, insists a pal of J.Lo who says, "Her attitude about the whole strip club thing is she knew he was going. What's the big deal?" Read more.

August 11, 2003 -  Us Weekly reports Jennifer Lopez fulfilled some Dolce male patrons fantasies by agreeing to dance with them on a solo night out in Hollywood with her hairdresser Oribe and makeup artist Scott Barnes. "A lot of guys were trying to dance with her, and she'd dance with them," a source revealed. "She was definitely trying to make herself noticed." A friend of J.Lo's explained, "She's been working so hard, she just wanted to have fun for the night." While J.Lo and fiance Ben Affleck have put up a romantic public front since Ben was caught at a strip club and allegedly had sex with a few strippers, an insider says, "The anguish is behind the scenes."

August 11, 2003 - Anonymous writes "This weekend Jennifer Lopez took over New York City's, popular Z-100 music station. J.Lo played such hits as Beyonce Knowles' 'Crazy in Love' and even said, "My Girl Beyonce she's out there she's doing her thing... much love to you and Jay-Z you'll make a nice cute little couple." She proceed by playing her ex boyfriend Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs' 'I Need a Girl; Part 2' and added, "You know everyone needs a little inspiration once in a while, Thank you Diddy!" You can download the full radio broadcast here."

August 9, 2003 - lopez_lover writes "Less than two months after joining CAA, Jennifer Lopez is heading back to Endeavor and former agent Patrick Whitesell, with whom she had been since October. She continues to remain with her managers at the Firm, where she signed in June just days after moving to CAA in a housecleaning move that saw her fire not only Endeavor but her manager Benny Medina at Handprint Entertainment. Read more."

August 9, 2003 - David Letterman joked during his Late Show monologue on Wednesday: "North Korea and Iran are close to having nuclear warheads. If they really want to make a huge bomb - they just need Ben and J.Lo."

August 9, 2003 - Pop culture writer Whitney Matheson of USA Today chatted with readers on Wednesday and weighed in on the overload of stories about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. "I'd love to stuff those two into a rocket ship and send them to Mars. Enough already," Matheson told a questioner who agreed with the overexposure. "Why can't the gossips obsess over a cooler couple, like Kirsten Dunst and Jake Gyllenhaal? Or Laura Dern and Ben Harper? They're 1,000 times more interesting and attractive than Bennifer, if you ask me." Later, asked if she thought they'd walk the aisle, Matheson said, "I don't think it will play out with a wedding, but who knows. Stranger things have happened." Read more.

August 9, 2003 - The Winnipeg Sun reports Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck were seen kissing and sitting on a Harley-Davidson outside J.Lo's rented Winnipeg home yesterday afternoon despite several reports saying their relationship was in trouble. "She was wearing Daisy Dukes, they were short shorts," said a woman who saw the pair at about 1:15 p.m. "They were sitting on a Harley. He patted her bum and kissed her head. I couldn't believe it was them." Read more.

August 9, 2003 - Jay Leno again joked about the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring 'Gigli' during his Thursday night monologue. He joked, "More bad news for the movie 'Gigli'. Turns out, it’s not going to video, it’s going to quarantine."

August 9, 2003 - The New York Daily News reports Mayor Bloomberg and Jennifer Lopez are set to meet, fulfilling the wish the billionaire made back in May. "When she's back in New York in September, one of her first stops will be City Hall," J.Lo's spokesman, Dan Klores said. Read more.

August 7, 2003 - The Daily Mail reports Jennifer Lopez has told friends her relationship with Ben Affleck is over after he humiliated her by frolicking with strippers. "It's over between me and Ben," she told a friend. "He's made me a laughing stock." A friend revealed, "Jen feels humiliated. Ben is telling her the stories are absolutely not true but she's not sure. She said they needed some time apart." Read more.

August 7, 2003 - Christian Slater's wife Ryan Haddon tells Us Weekly that Ben Affleck did not cheat on fiance Jennifer Lopez with any strippers. "Ben did not cheat," she said in response to the Enquirer claim. "Ben was listening to music, hanging out, talking to people, that's it." Haddon added that Affleck, a recovering alcoholic, never drank any alcohol. The mag also says Affleck took a urine test July 29th, which came back clean of drugs and alcohol. Read more.

August 7, 2003 - Ben Affleck responded to the poor box office opening 'Gigli' received to Army Archerd for his column in Daily Variety. "The movie didn't work," Ben admitted. "You work just as hard on a good movie as on a bad one. We tried to fix it. But it was like putting a fish's tail on a donkey's head." Ben also commented on what it felt like to hear the build-up of all those scathing reviews. "I feel like we were caught in the eye of a storm -- an earthquake that starts at sea and by the time it reaches the shore it's!" Still, Ben told Army that he and fiance Jennifer Lopez aren't completely opposed to the idea of co-starring together again.

August 7, 2003 - CultureDeluxe.com has a new mix by Long Shore Drift, 'Play the Changes', mixing Jennifer Lopez's 'Play' and Tupac Shakur's 'Changes'. Download and listen here.

August 7, 2003 - The Chicago Sun-Times reports Ben Affleck reportedly jumped on a private jet and flew from Vancouver to Jennifer Lopez's Winnipeg filming site for 'Shall We Dance' to be with her when news of the Enquirer story broke. Apparently, he smoothed it over, though a source on the set said, ''I think she did give him quite a piece of her mind... He looked a bit hangdog when he flew back to Vancouver,'' where he is filming 'Paycheck' with Uma Thurman. Read more.

August 7, 2003 - The New York Daily News spoke with Brandi's Exotic Night Club dancer Tammy Morris about her wild night with Ben Affleck with two other strippers named Sonja and Marie. "He seemed like a nice guy," Tammy Morris said of Jennifer Lopez's fiance. "But if he behaved that way that night, it tells you something about him." The stripper said the frolic with a soon-to-be married man left her feeling "dirty." Morris is on the cover of this week's Enquirer, and reportedly had been offered $100,000 to share her story. Read more.

August 7, 2003 - Add Conan O'Brien to the late night talk show hosts joking about the bad opening 'Gigli' received. He joked during Tuesday night's Late Night monologue, "The flop of the new Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez movie 'Gigli' is so bad that according to the New York Post, J.Lo and Ben haven't been spending much time together and J. Lo just wants to be alone. Apparently she really wants to be alone because she has been going to theaters that are playing 'Gigli'."

August 7, 2003 - The Associated Press reports Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears may soon be competing on television in addition to the pop charts. Both are kicking around the idea of launching syndicated talk shows that would begin airing in fall 2004, according to experts in that market. Read more.

August 7, 2003 - Associated Press reports that despite the awful opening for 'Gigli', the careers of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck will likely survive. "Nobody loses their job as a general proposition over one bomb," said Kim Masters, a film columnist for Esquire magazine. The film's producer may be the one in most trouble. "The one person who may have a hard time with their next project would be Martin Brest," said Chris Gardner, who covers the movie business for the trade paper The Hollywood Reporter. "A lot of it at this point will fall on his shoulders." Read more.

August 7, 2003 - Late Late Show Craig Kilborn joined in on the 'Gigli' bashing fun during his Tuesday monologue, warning that stars Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck may have to be on the run. Kilborn joked, "Today President Bush saw the movie 'Gigli' - and then vowed to get the 'sombitches' that were responsible!"

August 7, 2003 - During his monologue on Tuesday, Late Show host David Letterman poked fun at the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring 'Gigli', and J.Lo's Madame Tussaud's waxwork. Letterman joked, "It's just hot, muggy and humid here in New York City. It's just terrible, it's so hot we're withering - it's so hot here that down at the wax museum they had to pack Jennifer Lopez's ass in party ice. Have you seen the new J.Lo movie, 'Gigli'? (silence and Dave laughs) Ok, well I went and saw it last night. I left early and when I got home it was already on cable." 

August 7, 2003 - Stu Bykofsky of the Philadelphia Daily News saw the Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez starring 'Gigli', and defended the film which he says was victim to "the product of 'pack journalism' on the part of snotty elitists who decided that Bennifer had risen too far, too fast and now it was their God-given duty to drop the pair." His own thoughts on the flick? "I watched the movie in a theater with Bennifer's core audience and they enjoyed it. I found 'Gigli' somewhat heavy-footed, with overwritten monologues, but light enough for summer." Read more.

August 7, 2003 - Tonight Show host Jay Leno cracked off a few jokes about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's new movie 'Gigli' during his Tuesday night monologue. Jay joked, "Some exciting news - military experts say our troops are closing in for sure at this point, and getting ready to strike. They now think within a couple days we should have the producers of 'Gigli' in custody. I don't want to say it's bad, but Justin and Kelly walked out on it. Here's the sad part - today even Matt Damon demanded his money back."

August 5, 2003 - With little hope for a 'Gigli' comeback, Sony Pictures is pulling its midweek ads from newspapers and television and is expected to cut back next weekend's plans, showbiz sources tell the New York Daily News. Theater chains are obligated to play the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring movie for two weeks but are expected to turn off the lights after that. Read more.

August 5, 2003 - Jeannette Walls of MSNBC.com reports that not only is Ben Affleck in the dog house of fiance Jennifer Lopez, but has also angered Entertainment Tonight. The entertainment show sent a crew to Vancouver to interview Ben on July 18th, according to an insider, but when they arrived they were told Ben had the flu and couldn’t see them. "Now that the Enquirer reported that Ben was out partying with strippers until 5 a.m. on the very morning of his cancelled interview — it’s looking like that line about ‘the flu’ was about as believable as the-dog-ate-my-homework," the insider said. "ET spent a lot of money to send everyone up to Vancouver — and they were pretty irked at the time. Now that this has come out, they are going ballistic." Read more.

August 5, 2003 - Roger Friedman of FoxNews.com weighed in on the disappointing showing by the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring 'Gigli', which brought in only $3.8 million at 2,215 theaters, finishing 7th for the weekend. He says, "So we’ll say good-bye to 'Gigli,' which will no doubt get cut to 500 theaters this Friday and then get put out of its misery entirely. Columbia Pictures/Sony Entertainment will move on to 'S.W.A.T.,' which isn’t exactly 'The Italian Job,' but at least should be good mindless entertainment." Read more.

August 5, 2003 - A spy tells the New York Post that Jennifer Lopez was "really upset and arrived in Los Angeles on Thursday night" after the disasterous reviews for 'Gigli' came in, coupled with reports that had her fiance Ben Affleck cheating on her with strippers. Lopez resurfaced Saturday for a photo shoot for W magazine where she was "very cranky." She later went to dinner at Koi with 15 pals, including rapper Q-Tip, and then to Shelter, where "they rang up a $9,000 bar tab" in the VIP room," a source said. "Jennifer kept talking about the 'drama, drama, drama,' and told several people she was single before hitting the dance floor for the rest of the night. She was not wearing the engagement ring." Read more.

August 5, 2003 - The New York Daily News reports Jennifer Lopez and fiance Ben Affleck had a brief reunion in Los Angeles yesterday, as pals of both say they're not upset over the disasterous opening of 'Gigli'. "Everyone has failures," said a friend of Lopez. "She doesn't seem down. Her attitude is - 'next'." A friend of Affleck added, "They're fine. ['Gigli' director] Marty Brest may have a problem. Sony [the studio that released it] may take a beating. But Ben and Jennifer knew this was coming and will be able to ride it out." Read more.

August 4, 2003 - The Sunday Mirror reports Jennifer Lopez has postponing plans for a winter concert tour, as speculation grows the singer/actress is pregnant. J.Lo just finished filming 'Shall We Dance?' and had talked about wanting children. With a marriage to Ben Affleck pencilled in for August-September, the tabloid hears a baby is due in February.

August 4, 2003 - The New York Post reports Ben Affleck and fiance Jennifer Lopez were spotted in a roped-off area at a Red Lobster in Savannah, Georgia, where they recently bought a mansion.

August 4, 2003 - The National Enquirer is challenging Ben Affleck to take a lie detector test just as all the people interviewed on their lead story, describing the actor's wild night cavorting with strippers in Vancouver, Canada, where Jennifer Lopez's fiance allegedly performed oral sex on at least two nude dancers. Read more.

August 4, 2003 - Us Weekly asked several celebrities what they would get Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez as a wedding gift. Actress Camryn Manheim said, "I would get them a subscription to Us Weekly so they know what's going on in their life." O.J. Simpson's former tenant Kato Kaelin said, "I'd get J.Lo the Butt Master." And actor Michael Chicklis added, "They have everything! Maybe a nice toilet book, something that makes them laugh on the toilet."

August 4, 2003 - lopez_lover writes "Director Kevin Smith posted yesterday on his official message board opinion about 'Gigli' and if it effects on Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's next movie 'Jersey Girl'. He writes: "As far as all this worrying about what this weekend's 'Gigli' reception means for 'Jersey Girl'... well, don't waste your energy. We're gonna be fine (more than fine, I think). Apples and oranges. Sh**, apples and blowjobs, really. No further prognostication necessary... And while I'm sorry that 'Gigli' didn't do better this weekend, it's critical reaction and [box office] take won't have the slightest effect on 'Jersey Girl'. Take my word for it." Read more."

August 4, 2003 - The New York Daily News spoke with Big Apple moviegoers who attended the Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez starring 'Gigli', and the feedback was quite negative. Denise Lozada remarked, "I can’t even explain how horrible it was." Lisa Papada added, "People were starting cell phone conversations, and nobody minded." Read more.

August 4, 2003 - According to the Borowitz Report, President Bush made the decision to authorize a $25 million bounty on Jennifer Lopez and fiance Ben Affleck after a closed-door screening of 'Gigli' at the White House Friday night with his top national security advisors. "The search for a weapon of mass destruction is over," Mr. Bush said gravely after seeing the film. When told the couple may have other co-starring vehicles in the pipeline, Mr. Bush said, "Do not – I repeat – do not bring 'em on." Jen and Ben have fled America upon learning of the news. Read more.

August 4, 2003 - Us Weekly reports that lucky fans who were outside the premiere of 'Gigli' in Westwood, California were lucky enough to be asked to watcht he film with stars Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck at Mann National Theaters. "Right before the film began, they let people in off the street," a source said. "They took people from behind the barricades outside the theater and let them in to fill the empty seats." The source adds that a few of the overzealous fans even came up to Lopez and "were harassing her, but she was gracious."

August 4, 2003 - One day returns on the new Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring 'Gigli' show that despite being shown on 2,215 screens, the film only made $1.5 million on its first day, only good enough for 7th. 'American Wedding' saw a first day gross of $12.3 million to top the list. Read more.

August 3, 2003 - lopez_lover writes "Joe Baltake from sacticket.com reviewed the Jennifer Lopez and fiance Ben Affleck starring movie 'Gigli', giving it 2 1/2 stars. He writes: "Martin Brest's 'Gigli' is the kind of interesting, messed-up little movie doomed to be misunderstood and underrated. It's a film that boldly strives for some originality among all the formulaic pap that monopolizes our theaters and that's ultimately penalized for not quite making it... The main reason to see 'Gigli' is Lopez, who gives a confident performance and who never looked better. She's every inch a movie star here. She makes you wish that 'Gigli' was a better movie". Read more."

August 3, 2003 - Richard Roeper of 'Ebert and Roeper' was interviewed on CNN earlier today by Kyra Phillips, as the AOL/Time Warner owned network continued an all-day barrage of film critics on to blast the rival Sony Pictures film 'Gigli', starring Ben Affleck and fiance Jennifer Lopez. Responding to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution review calling the film a "pile of manure", Roeper responded, "Well, Kyra, first of all, calling it a pile of manurer is an insult to manurer everywhere. I don't know why anybody would say such a thing about manurer, that's such an insult. The worst movie of the century, I guess it depends on what century we're talking about. This is an unbelievably, amazingly, awful film. from the very first frame to the very end. Jennifer and Ben pay playing the two least believable hitmen in movie history. She's a lesbian, he's a meathead. And they capture a guy who's doing a bad imitation of 'Rainman'. And they ride around in a convertible with him because that's a good way to keep hostage out of the public eye, right? And there's a moment where Jennifer Lopez's lesbian lover shows up and slits her wrist, and I actually envied that woman at that point." Read more.

August 3, 2003 - Ed Gonzalez of slant magazine reviewed the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring 'Gigli', giving the film only 1 out of 4 stars. Gonzalez writes, "'Gigli' wishes to have a little something for everyone. Though Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez fell in love on the set of the film, it’s difficult not to look at this shrill mess as a vanity project tailor-made for the couple and targeted at anyone who gets their daily celebrity dish from the E! network." Read more.

August 3, 2003 - Daryn Kagan of CNN spoke with Mr. Moviefone, Russ Leatherman, on the new Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring 'Gigli', and like most every other critic, he hammered the film out today. "I have to tell you, Daryn, I didn't think I'd see a movie this summer that would make 'From Justin to Kelly' look like a classic, but this is one of them," he said. "It's amazing because you have two huge stars, you have a good director, you have a bug budget, and to come out with a movie that's just so absolutely flat with no charisma, it's really sort of amazing." He added, "The most amazing thing is that people are really jumping on this thing, right, like every critic across the country is taking the opportunity to just hammer this movie as hard as they can, maybe because Ben and Jen did so much publicizing of themselves, of the movie, of everything else." Read more.

August 3, 2003 - Some wonder if the private lives of Jennifer Lopez and fiance Ben Affleck will overshadow their professional work together on 'Gigli' and the upcoming 'Jersey Girl'. "I do worry about it," Lopez admitted to CNN. "Like now that the movie is coming out and there's been so much press on us, you know, I feel like ah, I wish that people could go in without the extra baggage." Affleck added, "I think it's a double-edged sword. I think it can also help. I think it can -- it certainly generates attention and in a crowded marketplace, that's valuable." Check out a transcript here.

August 3, 2003 - The Enquirer reports Jennifer Lopez is furious at Ben Affleck after her fiance convinced her that she should fire longtime manager Benny Medina. "When Ben said it was time to dump Medina -- the guy responsible for launching her -- Jennifer trusted him," an insider said. "Ben thought that by getting new management Jennifer's career would reach a new level. But his plan backfired -- and now Jennifer's furious at Ben." It's backfired because the pal says the move "has only cemented her self-absorbed, ruthless image." The pal added, "Even though she loves Ben, Jennifer's worked way too hard for any man to damage the empire she's created."

August 3, 2003 - Globe magazine claims Jennifer Lopez won't let tomato, apple or grape juice touch her lips, instead preferring sipping room temperature Evian water.

August 3, 2003 - lopez_lover writes "Here's another review for the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring movie 'Gigli' from Calgary Sun by Louis B. Hobson. He says, "'Gigli' is not one of the worst films of 2003 - let alone one of the worst of all time - and not a significant blight on either Ben Affleck or Jennifer Lopez's reputations. Affleck is better here than he was in 'Reindeer Games', 'Phantoms' and 'Bounce', and Lopez shows far more range and depth than she did in 'Anaconda', 'The Wedding Planner', 'Angel Eyes' and 'Enough'." Read more."

August 3, 2003 - lopez_lover writes "Roger Ebert from Chicago Sun Times reviewed today the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring movie 'Gigli', giving it 2 1/2 stars. He writes, "Lopez and Affleck are sweet and appealing in their performances; the buzz said they didn't have chemistry, but the buzz was wrong... Affleck and Lopez create lovely characters, even if they're not the ones they're allegedly playing, and the supporting performances and a lot of the dialogue is wonderful. It's just that there's too much time between the good scenes." Read more."

August 3, 2003 - Cris Judd tells In Touch magazine that he is still in love with Jennifer Lopez even though she ended their short marriage last year to be with her 'Gigli' co-star Ben Affleck. "We talk every so often," he said. "I still really care about her and know she does for me. I tell her if she ever needs me, I'm here for her. I don't know if Ben Affleck knows about it, but we still get along fine. I love her for who she is, not what she is. There aren't many people around her who can say that. We're soulmates."

August 3, 2003 - Ty Burr of the Boston Globe reviewed the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring 'Gigli', giving it zero stars. Burr said, "I'm sorry to have to disappoint you. Not that 'Gigli' isn't a failure on almost every level -- it is. But the Martin Brest film is merely an overlong, joyless, and inconsequential affair, full of dead air, and possessing only a few moments of jaw-dropping bad taste. It's a dull disaster." Read more.

August 3, 2003 - lopez_lover writes "Two new R-rated comedies are opening on the first day of August. Universal Pictures the highly-anticipated third 'American Pie' film, 'American Wedding', and Columbia Pictures releases the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck-starrer 'Gigli'. Chuck the Movie Guy from commingsoon.net gave B- for 'American Wedding' and A- for 'Gigli' saying that Jennifer has never looked so hotter and that Lopez and Affleck's chemistry is better than Julia Roberts and Richard Gere's. Watch both reviews here."

August 3, 2003 - lopez_lover writes "Iyn Cockburn from Winnipeg Sun reviewed the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring movie 'Gigli', giving it 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. He writes, "It ain't Shakespeare. And thank God for that. Most of us have had quite enough of the bard. But it is fun. 'Gigli' is a hoot. A fluffy hoot, but a hoot... So, ignore the 99% of rude, insensitive critics who insult this movie with such phrases as, 'a low point in cinematic history'. Go, laugh and enjoy." Read more."

August 3, 2003 - Angelina Jolie says she's miffed at execs at Paramount Pictures for airbrushing her bosom in a poster for 'Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.' Apparently it was a cold day when the photo was taken - making it clear that Jolie wasn't wearing a bra. But Angelina believes even a fantasy character should look realistic. "I wanted my [breasts] to be there to see," she complained in an interview the other day. Read more.

August 1, 2003 - Jennifer Lopez chatted with The CBS Early Show what sparked between her and off-screen beau Ben Affleck while filming 'Gigli' and talks about wedding plans, family and future movies. Watch the interview only at CBSNews.com.

August 1, 2003 - Access Hollywood took viewers to Jennifer Lopez's favorite soccer field, where she is sponsoring a team in her hometown, the Bronx. The team is called the J.Lo Girls, and Lopez herself supplied not only the name, but also their uniforms. "It's just a great thing, I'm glad we got involved with it," said Lopez at the premiere of her new film. "We had our clothing company, and now we're sponsoring a soccer team, so it's good." Read more.

August 1, 2003 - Roger Friedman of FoxNews.com expanded his comments on the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring 'Gigli'. He said, "The biggest problem with 'Gigli' is how anyone who read that script would want to make the movie. The basic premise, a lesbian hitwoman and a Tony Soprano hitman being thrown together, is not bad. But the minute the guy has to 'convert' the woman, we're in trouble. Someone saw this as an Affleck vehicle because of 'Chasing Amy.' But that movie was a quirky, independent film with no expectations. It was spontaneous, unfettered, and unencumbered. 'Gigli' is just the opposite, a massive tick of self-consciousness." Read more.

August 1, 2003 - A source who knows Jennifer Lopez and fiance Ben Affleck tells Jeannette Walls of MSNBC.com that the couple's relationship is in trouble after the bombshell allegations in the new issue of the National Enquirer. "It's not really the strip club that’s the problem," the insider said. "It’s all the sordid details about taking the girls back to (Christian Slater’s) house and what they did with them there. This relationship had issues before this article came out, and I think those details are going to make Jennifer snap. They may be making some public appearances together to promote their movie ‘Gigli’ but it’s going to be tough." Affleck's lawyer maintained that the Enquirer story is "complete garbage." Read more.

August 1, 2003 - Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News reviewed the Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck starring movie 'Gigli', which hits theaters Friday. Bernard says the film "is a disaster." Giving the flick only 1 star, she added, "The impending nuptials of Lopez and Affleck lead the public to expect a romantic comedy with a happily-ever-after ending. However, the script, by writer-director-producer Martin Brest, looks as if it began life as a crime drama with a heart. It has since morphed into a comedy without a pulse." Read more.

August 1, 2003 - lopez_lover writes "Red Hot Jennifer Lopez has got J.Lo's new video called 'Baby, I Love U!'. It was made to promote Jen and fiance Ben Affleck's upcoming movie 'Gigli'. Download and watch the video here."

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