The J.Lo Hate Train Keeps on Tuggin’

Now the ex-girlfriend of an actor I don't recognize is weighing in on Lopez and her "hardest, firmest handshake."

By Audra Heinrichs | April 19, 2024 | 3:42pm

Photo: Shutterstock Celebrities

Between weathering bad reviews of “the greatest love story never told,” weak ticket sales, and the near-constant online discourse about how “from the block” she actually is, it’s been a tough few weeks for Jennifer Lopez. Now, the ex-girlfriend of Lopez’ former co-star is weighing in with her own experience.

In an episode of the No Chaser podcast, Melanie Iglesias claimed that when her ex-boyfriend, Ryan Guzman, starred opposite Lopez in the 2015 box office bomb, The Boy Next Door, the star’s publicists instructed him to act as if he was, well, a little more than her co-star during the film’s press cycle.

Most Popular

“She made my ex, oh my God, pretend that he was single to promote the movie,” Iglesias said. “The publicists, both of them, called me…so they were at afterparties together, like, holding hands and stuff to promote this.” Frankly, I would not be at all surprised if true. Pretending you’re fucking your co-star (and actually fucking your co-star) is pretty much a standard PR practice.

Iglesias then recalled that a number of talk shows and tabloids—like Page Six—took the bait. During a sit down with Ellen DeGeneres, Lopez was asked whether there was “anything going on” between her and Guzman, to which she, at first, said “no.” When prompted further about whether or not Guzman had a girlfriend, however, she replied: “I think he might? I’m not sure. I know he did.… I’m not in his business like that.”

“Not yet,” DeGeneres jested. Lopez played coy: “You never know.”

“We’ve met,” Iglesias recalled of the interview on the podcast. “We friggin’ met. What do you mean you don’t know if he had a girlfriend? We met. You squeezed the shit out of my hand. I’m still black and blue.” We have to laugh!

Of their meeting, Iglesias explained that when Lopez was introduced to her, the multi-hyphenate “looked me up and down, and she gave me the hardest, firmest handshake in the world. I was like, ‘Ow! I’ll have my hand back, Jesus.’”

Eventually, Iglesias and Guzman broke up when he began “coming home at 2 in the morning.” Whether Lopez had anything to do with that isn’t specified but Iglesias further bemoaned the film’s PR strategy: “Where’s your faith in the movie? You know what I mean? Why do you have to act like you’re with everyone that you’re in a movie with…I don’t get it.” Faith in the movie??? Respectfully, not even a sex scandal could’ve saved a film about *checks notes* a psychotic teenager seducing his high school teacher.

As for Lopez, she doesn’t seem all that bothered by the backlash. In fact, she’s reportedly just trying to decide what she’ll wear to next month’s Met Gala. That’s show biz!