Jennifer Lopez Goes Full Angelina with Thigh-High Slit
What’s black and blue and embodied by one of the greatest multi-hyphenates the world has ever seen? Jennifer Lopez’s colorblock David Koma London gown, of course.
The actress, singer, dancer, mother, philanthropist (et al.) arrived at N.Y.C.’s Metrograph on Monday evening for a special advanced screening of her new film Second Act followed by an empowering panel discussion alongside super-producer Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Full Picture CEO Desiree Gruber, journalist and businesswoman Arianna Huffington, and Founder and Director of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative Dr. Stacy L. Smith.
Lopez’s sophisticated look bears an air of conservatism — until you reach the thigh-high slit, that is. The quietly sexy Grecian gown acted as the perfect sartorial complement to the evening’s discussion of self-worth. “This is my path; this is my race,” J. Lo eloquently told the crowd. “Yes, I’m competitive, but I’m competitive with myself. How much further can I go; how much more can I do; how much more can I be. And that’s kind of what I think about and that’s the type of people I like to surround myself with.”
Kristina Bumphrey/StarPix/REX/Shutterstock
Naturally, one of those very people cheered Jen on from the audience — her supportive beau, Alex Rodriguez. Ever the IG boyfriend, he spent the bulk of the panel recording Lopez’s every word.
The Bronx native teared up throughout the conversation as she discussed the impact of various helping hands across her decades-spanning career, highlighting the influence of her longtime producing partner, Goldsmith-Thomas.
“It was different people in my life at different times that were like ‘You are good at this,’” Lopez said, explaining that the confidence she now exudes wasn’t always authentic. “I’d go into studios and I’d be like ‘Well I’m not a great singer,’ and they’re like ‘What are you talking about?’ and I was like, ‘Well I don’t sing like Aretha Franklin,’ and they’re like ‘It doesn’t matter. You sing like Jennifer Lopez and people love it,’ and I’m like, ‘They do?’ and she’s like ‘Yes.’ It’s moments like that that you remember. People, they just plant a seed for you to look at yourself in a better way. And it’s those moments that just — you keep going.”
RELATED: We Watched 21 Jennifer Lopez Movies and Ranked Them from Best to Worst
“For me, the most important thing is not listening to all the outside voices,” she continued, “but making sure that the voice I’m speaking to myself, that roommate, is a kind roommate, is a good roommate, is somebody who’s lifting me up like Elaine [Goldsmith-Thomas] has done every single day.”