Jennifer Lopez says people often get the wrong idea about strong women, and she knows that feeling well.
The 56-year-old star opened up while promoting Netflix’s workplace rom-com ‘Office Romance’ with co-star Brett Goldstein. In the film, Lopez plays Jackie Cruz, a tough airline CEO who does not waste time making people comfortable.
Goldstein plays Daniel Blanchflower, a member of the company’s legal team. Their characters clash, spark and slowly discover there is more going on beneath the polished corporate surface.
Jennifer Lopez Says Strength Gets Misread
During an interview with The New York Times, Lopez said she understood why Jackie spoke to her.
“What resonated with me is how the other characters misread her,” Lopez said.
She described Jackie as powerful and direct, but not cold.
“She’s a formidable, strong woman, but they mistake that for being ruthless,” Lopez said.
As the movie unfolds, Daniel starts to see another side of Jackie.
“In reality, as Daniel discovers, she’s incredibly funny, goofy, and lovable,” Lopez said. “I really connected with that aspect of her personality.”
Lopez Says People See Her The Same Way
When asked whether audiences also misread her, Lopez did not hesitate.
“Absolutely,” she said.
The singer and actress said fame can make people flatten a real person into a public image.
“It’s frustrating because you want to say, ‘Relax, I’m harmless,'” Lopez said. “I’m not going to bite, at least not until I know you better.”
Then she turned serious.
“I’m not aggressive or unkind,” Lopez said. “People see you as this public figure and reduce you to a two-dimensional character.”
Brett Goldstein Had His Own Questions
Lopez also joked that Goldstein may have wondered what she would be like before working with her.
“He probably wondered if my real life mirrored Jackie’s,” she said.
She guessed he may have asked himself whether the rumors were true.
Goldstein, best known for ‘Ted Lasso,’ admitted he was stunned Lopez agreed to star in the film. He called it “mind-blowing.”
For Lopez, the role seems to hit a personal nerve. Jackie may be fictional, but the misunderstanding feels familiar.
After years of headlines, breakups and public judgment, Lopez is making one thing clear: strength is not cruelty. Sometimes it is just survival with better lighting.
