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Jennifer Lopez was harassed by a movie director: ‘I was terrified’
Jennifer Lopez, the renowned singer and actress, recently shared her own story of sexual harassment in Hollywood with Harper’s BAZAAR magazine.
In the April issue, Lopez revealed that she was asked to take off her shirt and show her breasts by a director early in her acting career.
However, she refused to comply with the director’s request.
“I haven’t been abused in the way some women have. But have I been told by a director to take off my shirt and show my boobs? Yes, I have. But did I do it? No, I did not,” Lopez said.
The singer and actress, who made her acting debut at the age of 16, said that when she spoke up about the uncomfortable encounter, she was terrified.
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“I remember my heart beating out of my chest, thinking, ‘What did I do? This man is hiring me!’ It was one of my first movies,” Lopez said.
Despite her fear, Lopez knew that the behavior was not right. “It could have gone either way for me. But I think ultimately the Bronx in me was like, ‘Nah, we’re not having it.’”
Lopez’s comments come in the wake of numerous women speaking out about sexual misconduct in Hollywood.
The industry has been rocked by a series of scandals involving powerful men, including Harvey Weinstein.
In October 2017, Weinstein was accused of sexual misconduct by several women, leading to a wave of similar allegations against men in various industries.
The singer and actress has previously expressed her support for the #MeToo movement and the current wave of female empowerment in the business.
She wore black during her visit to Puerto Rico last month to show her support for the movement.
“It’s a groundbreaking thing that’s going on in the world right now. Of course, I always support women speaking up. I’m super-excited about the time we are living in right now – especially for my daughter,” Lopez said in an interview with Billboard in February.
Lopez emphasized the importance of speaking out and supporting women.
“We are really finding our voices. We are really coming out of the shadows and saying how we feel. [It’s about] knowing our worth and our value and making the opposite sex aware of our worth and our value,” she said.
Lopez’s story is yet another example of the kind of behavior that women in Hollywood have to face.
It’s important that women like Lopez speak out and share their experiences, so that the industry can change and make sure that this kind of behavior is no longer tolerated.
A spokesperson for Weinstein previously denied any allegations of non-consensual sex and stated that there were never any acts of retaliation against any women for refusing his advances.