Jennifer Lopez got candid about motherhood and relationships as she attended a special screening for her new movie Unstoppable in London on November 5. Speaking in a Q&A following the screening, the star opened up about her character — and what she found "very relatable" about them.
© Mike MarslandThe mom-of-two plays Judy Robles, the real-life mother of former NCAA wrestling champion Anthony Robles, who experienced the difficulties of raising her children while in an abusive relationship with unstable finances.
© Mike MarslandBut as JLo spoke about portraying the "struggle" of her story, she reflected on how "relatable" it was for women getting into "challenging relationships" while "being a mother."
"I think a lot of women have gone through that, and she (Judy) and I talked a lot," she added, explaining that she got to know Judy because she "wanted her to really feel safe with me (while) sharing details."
© ANACARBALLOSA"When you talk to Judy's kids, including Anthony, they're like 'my mom's so positive, she's so great,'" she continued. "There was a whole different story there that she was living, that you hide from your children, you protect your children from that."
For the actress, it was really important to "not just play the mom who the kids knew, but to play the woman who raised these children and how she found her own strength." She continued that she didn't want "anybody to see me in it. I wanted them to see Judy in it."
She held Judy's hand throughout the screening as a show of support and solidarity between the two women, as she made it clear that they got to know "each other" throughout the filming process.
Unstoppable, starring Jharrel Jerome as well as the "Jenny From The Block" singer, is produced by JLo's estranged husband Ben Affleck as part of his Artists Equity production company, co-founded with Matt Damon.
© Jon KopaloffJennifer originally attended the film's Toronto International Film Festival premiere on September 6, 2024, a matter of weeks after she filed for divorce from Ben, citing April 26, 2024 as their date of separation.
© Getty ImagesWhile the couple may not be together anymore, Ben still had nothing but kind words for his ex, describing her performance as "spectacular" in a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight.
When asked about her ex-husband's high praise, and in turn about his production style, JLo had a more diplomatic response: "I would describe all of the cast and everybody behind the scenes as spectacular and wonderful."
