Jane Fonda Was Real Skeptical About Being in Jennifer Lopez’s Fever Dream of a Film

This week marks the beginning of Jennifer Lopez’s love bomb bonanza thanks to the release of her new film and album, This Is Me…Now: A Love Story. In two weeks, on February 27, a documentary chronicling the making of both will also arrive. And Variety, who featured J.Lo on their cover this week, noted that while some will hate the film, others will consider the Baz Luhrman-esque reimagining of her romantic life–in all of its trials and tribulations– a “narcissistic cringefest.” Frankly, I don’t care either way. I’m much more invested in its behind-the-scenes lore.

The $20 million partly-animated musical film–financed by Lopez herself–sees the star on her quest for true love guided by Jane Fonda and a random smattering of celebrities (Keke Palmer, Sofia Vergara, Post Malone, Neil deGrasse Tyson, etc.) Affleck, it’s reported, will also appear. If, by now, you’re thinking this film sounds like a fever dream, you’d be echoing the thoughts of all of Lopez’s family and friends–including, none other than Khloe Kardashian who was also asked to star in the film. She declined.

“People are scared to put themselves out there,” Lopez said. “I get it. It took me a long time. I’m scared. But I don’t act like I’m scared—that’s the secret to my whole fucking career.” In short: she’s just an exceptional actress. Speaking of!

The Variety story also includes an anecdote about Fonda–Lopez’s former co-star in Monster-in-Law–deciding whether or not to accept a role in This Is Me…Now: A Love Story. Lopez wanted Fonda to appear in the film as…a “member of her Zodiac love council.” Fonda, as one would understand, was doubtful for a number of reasons–chief among them that her appearance in the film would be perceived as the cosigning of a couple that, well, might not last.

“I want you to know that I don’t entirely know why, but I feel invested in you and Ben, and I really want this to work,” Fonda told Lopez during a conversation that’s reportedly included in the documentary. “However, this is my concern. Like, it feels too much like you’re trying to prove something instead of just living it. You know, every other photograph is the two of you kissing and the two of you hugging.”

But Lopez apparently laughed and replied: “That’s just us living our life.” Months later, after the 2023 Grammy Awards where Affleck looked like he always does (read: miserable), Fonda still wasn’t convinced. “I got real scared, you know, with all that shit about the Grammys and he looks unhappy and I’m like, ‘Oh, my God, what’s happening?’” Again, Lopez was amused by Fonda’s doubt: “Nothing! He was like, ‘I’ve become the symbol of the beleaguered man.’” OK!

Lopez also commented to Variety about performing on Saturday Night Live alongside host, Ayo Edebiri— especially in light of those comments. Days before the show, an old podcast episode wherein Edebiri likened Lopez to a “scam” resurfaced. But during SNL, it appeared as if the pair had buried the hatchet. As it turns out, Edebiri had actually apologized.

“She was mortified and very sweet,” Lopez said of the gesture. “She came to my dressing room and apologized with tears in her eyes, saying how terrible it was that she had said those things. She felt really badly and loved my performance because we had just done my soundcheck and she actually got to hear me perform. She was just like, ‘I’m so fucking sorry, it was so awful of me.’” Both of these women are deserving of a Best Actress trophy, to be honest.

Will I see This Is Me…Now? Well, I wasn’t planning on it. But now that I know it was so important to Lopez that she was willing to sink millions of her own money into it and caused all this kerfuffle, however, I feel I have no choice.

Photo: Fonda and Lopez at the premiere of Monster-in-Law in 2005.