Jennifer Lopez is having a very visible summer. At 57, the superstar was recently photographed heading to a workout in Santa Monica wearing a tiny sports top that showcased her famously toned figure. For Rob Shuter, who worked as Lopez’s publicist during her first breakup with Ben Affleck in 2004 and personally drafted the statement confirming their split, moments like this are especially interesting. He remembers Lopez as one of the most media-savvy celebrities he has encountered.
That understanding of image has followed Lopez throughout her career. Shuter recalls being told by a Hollywood manager on his first day working with her that Jennifer understood the machinery of celebrity better than almost anyone — and knew perfectly well that her body was one of the most powerful assets associated with the JLo image.
Her recent Italian vacation with her 18-year-old twins, Max and Oscar, formerly known as Emme, offered plenty more examples. The children were born during Lopez’s marriage to Marc Anthony. In videos from the trip, she walked ancient streets with Oscar in a fitted corset-style dress, posed for a rooftop selfie and took an evening gondola ride in a dramatically plunging gown reminiscent of her legendary revealing Versace moment. Lopez jokingly described the trip as a road adventure with her “coconuts” before they leave for college.
There may be more behind this highly polished summer than simple vanity. For years, much of the public conversation around Lopez revolved around “Bennifer” — the romance, reunion and eventual collapse. A friend of the star described her post-Affleck goal differently: making JLo herself the story again — sexy, successful, independent and firmly in charge of her life. Her latest appearances certainly send the message that she isn’t disappearing after heartbreak.
Professionally, she has plenty happening too. Lopez has signed a deal to become a new face of Dolce & Gabbana, reportedly worth around $20 million. She is also planning an international tour for next year and has two screen projects ahead: “The JLo Show,” a documentary centered on her recent Las Vegas performances, and the crime thriller “The Last Mrs Parrish.”
But that relentless pace has another side. Lopez has previously spoken about pushing herself until she was exhausted and barely sleeping. Someone close to her circle says stopping simply isn’t her strength: when she is happy, she works, and when she is unhappy, she works even harder. Work provides something other parts of life cannot always offer — control.
Divorce, children leaving for college and getting older cannot be managed like a movie campaign, tour or carefully constructed public image. That may be why these latest photos feel like more than another showcase of Lopez’s physique. After decades in the spotlight, the message appears remarkably consistent: whatever else changes around her, Jennifer Lopez still wants to decide exactly how the world sees JLo.
