Jennifer Lynn Lopez was born in the Castle Hill section of the South Bronx on July 24, 1969. The middle of three musically inclined sisters, Leslie, a homemaker and Lynda, an entertainment consultant for New York's Channel 11, Jennifer always dreamed of being a multi-tasking superstar. Jennifer's parents Guadalupe Rodriguez and David Lopez were both born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, the second largest Puerto Rican city. The two were then brought to the United States in their childhoods, and eventually met while living in New York City. While Jennifer is of Puerto Rican descent her paternal grandmother's parents were Europeans who settled on the island of Puerto Rico. As a child Jennifer enjoyed a variety of musical genres, mainly Afro-Caribbean rhythms like salsa, merengue and bachata, and mainstream music like Pop, Hip hop and R&B. Although she loved music, the film industry also intrigued her. Her biggest influence was the Rita Moreno musical West Side Story. At age five, Jennifer began taking singing and dancing lessons. Aside from being a budding entertainer, Jennifer was also a Catholic schoolgirl, attending eight years at an all-girls catholic high school named Holy Family, located in the Bronx, before graduating from Preston High School after a four- year stay. At school, Jennifer was an amazing athlete and participated in track and field and tennis. At age eighteen Lopez moved out of her parent's home. During this time Lopez worked at a law firm while she took dancing jobs at night. Her big break came when she was offered a job as a fly girl on Fox's hit comedy In Living Color. After a two-year stay at In Living Color where actress Rosie Perez served as choreographer, Lopez than went on to dance for famed singer-actress Janet Jackson. Her first major film was Gregory Nava's My Family and her career went into over-drive when she portrayed slain Tejana singer Selena Quintanilla Perez in 1997's Selena.


Monster-in-Law (2005): $15,000,000
Shall We Dance (2004): $14,000,000
Jersey Girl (2004): $4,000,000
Gigli (2003): $12,000,000
Maid in Manhattan (2002): $12,000,000
Angel Eyes (2001): $9,000,000
The Wedding Planner (2001): $9,000,000
The Cell (2000): $4,000,000
Antz (1998): $500,000
Out of Sight (1998): $2,000,000
U Turn (1997): $1,000,000
Anaconda (1997): $1,000,000
Selena (1997): $1,000,000
Blood and Wine (1996): $250,000
Jack (1996): $200,000
Money Train (1995): $200,000
My Family (1995): $50,000

Father David Lopez is a computer specialist at Guardian Insurance in NYC. Sisters are Linda López and Leslie Lopez. Her parents are from Puerto Rico. She was one of the "Fly Girls" dancers on the TV comedy series "In Living Color" (1990). In her Bronx neighborhood they call her "The Supernova." Lopez and boyfriend musician 'Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs' were arrested in connection with a nightclub shooting. Police found them with a stolen gun. The charges against Lopez were dropped, but the charges against Combs stayed. He was eventually tried and acquitted. [December 1999] Grew up in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx. It was from this neighborhood that she took the local "6" train to get to her auditions in Manhattan, as well as the inspiration of her debut album "On the 6". Voted #1 in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women list. [2001] Is the highest paid Latina(o) actress to date for her performance in The Wedding Planner (2001). She was paid $1 million for her role in Selena (1997). [2001] Met her husband, Cris Judd, while filming the music video for her single "Love Don't Cost A Thing". The two were married in a small ceremony (about 170 guests) at a home in a Los Angeles suburb officiated by attorney Barry Hirsch. Judd is a dancer and choreographer. Named one of E!'s "Top 20 Entertainers of 2001". She once hosted "Saturday Night Live" (1975) and appeared in a sketch as a singer for the USO who performs for soldiers during WWII. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01, she did this for real, performing in a USO concert at an American Air Force base in Germany. Attended Baruch College in New York. Opened a new Cuban restaurant called Madre's in Pasadena, California. Was ranked 1st of the 100 Sexiest Women by FHM Taiwan (2001). Grew up on Blackrock Avenue in the Bronx. Engaged to Ben Affleck. [October 2002] Ranked #47 in Premiere's 2003 annual Power 100 List. Had ranked #76 in 2002. Voted the 4th Sexiest Female Movie Star in the Australian Empire Magazine September 2002. Ranked #5 in Maxim's Hot 100 List 2003, behind Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) stars Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu, & Cameron Diaz, and Kristanna Loken, Shania Twain, and top-ranked Christina Aguilera. Ranked #4 in the "Loveliest Latin Ladies" section of Stuff's 125 Sexiest Women of the Year 2003, along with Shakira, Salma Hayek, Daisy Fuentes, Roselyn Sanchez, Penélope Cruz, Eva Mendes, Sofía Vergara, Lana Parrilla, Marieh Delfino, and Sissi. Struggles to converse in Spanish, even though she was raised in a Puerto Rican home. After four unsuccessful previous nominations, she won the worst actress Razzie for Gigli (2003). Her mother won a $2.4-million jackpot at the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey in April 2004. Sister Linda López is an Entertainment Correspondent for WB Network Channel 11 News in New York. Both her parents are of full European ancestry. 2004 Honoree for the Noche de Niños Gala (Childrens Hospital Los Angeles) Ranked #2 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002). Owns a home in Old Westbury - Long Island, New York. There was some controversy around her fashion line "Sweetface" due to the excessive use of fur for the clothes. Members of PETA protested against her and famous PETA member Heather Mills stormed with some reporters into Jennifer's office in New York and expected an explanation from Jennifer, but the singer wasn't there. Mills then left a DVD in Lopez' office, which shows how brutally animals are murdered just to get their fur. Mills was then asked to leave by Lopez' assistant. [September 2005] She and Marc Anthony live in Bel-Air. In addition, they have a house on Fisher Island and another one in Long Island, New York. Named #31 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement. (2005) Named #26 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006). Stepmother of her husband, Marc Anthony's 3 children: Ariana, Cristian and Ryan. Began her career as a dancer for Janet Jackson. December 2007 - According to Forbes, her movies averaged $9 of gross income for every dollar the actress got paid. Has split with her year-long manager, Irving Azoff [January 15, 2008]. Client of Simon Fields. Did not return to work until over a year (15 months) after giving birth to twins Max and Emme in order to begin filming The Back-up Plan (2010). She and husband Marc are celebrity part-owners of the Miami Dolphins along with Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan Jr., and sisters Venus Williams and Serena Williams (2009).