Jennifer Lopez Stands by ‘Gigli’—Even After Critics Tore It Apart!

Jennifer Lopez’s 2003 film Gigli is widely regarded as one of the biggest missteps in her career. The movie, which starred Lopez alongside then-partner Ben Affleck, was panned by critics and failed to make an impact at the box office. Despite its poor reception, Lopez has remained unapologetically proud of the film, often referring to parts of it as “genius” and standing by her belief that it would eventually find its audience.

In an interview with W Magazine, Lopez reflected on the film’s negative reception and her steadfast defense of its more ridiculed moments. She specifically pointed to one of the film’s infamous lines, “It’s turkey time—gobble, gobble,” which many viewers mocked. “It’s genius! Look, I thought it was risky, but I also felt it was juicy,” Lopez stated. “It was tough stuff to work with.” She added that the critical backlash was, in her eyes, often over the top and failed to acknowledge the film’s potential.

Lopez also took issue with the notion that she and Affleck lacked chemistry on screen, a point that became a common criticism of Gigli. “People are saying there was no chemistry,” Lopez said. “That’s insane! There’s crazy chemistry!” She maintained that the behind-the-scenes romance with Affleck, which was widely covered in the media, actually enhanced their on-screen dynamic. Despite acknowledging that the film had its flaws, Lopez expressed frustration with critics who dismissed it without fully considering its merits. “Don’t just be an a** to be an a**,” she remarked, urging people to be more thoughtful in their critiques.

In hindsight, Lopez speculated that Gigli‘s commercial failure could be attributed, at least in part, to the relentless media scrutiny surrounding her personal life, especially her high-profile relationship with Affleck at the time. “I kept warning my mom,” Lopez recalled. “I said, ‘Mom, we’re gonna get killed.’” She believed that the constant coverage of her romance had saturated the public, leaving moviegoers uninterested in seeing more of her on-screen persona. “People are consuming stories about me every day and didn’t want to go to the theater to see more of me,” Lopez explained. The media frenzy, she felt, detracted from the film’s appeal. “Literally, there’s someone shooting into my house with cameras,” she shared, emphasizing the toll that constant paparazzi attention took on her.

Despite the film’s commercial failure, Lopez held firm to the belief that Gigli would eventually find its place with audiences, particularly once it hit cable. “I really think it will have a resurgence on cable!” she predicted. “Now people may look at me and say, ‘She’s totally off her f***ing rocker,’ but hey, that’s my theory.”

While Lopez maintained her positive outlook on the film, her co-star Ben Affleck had a much more pragmatic view. Affleck, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, admitted that he knew Gigli was not going to succeed. “It was a movie that didn’t work,” he said, adding that despite their efforts, including five weeks of reshoots, the film was doomed from the start.

Though Gigli remains a punchline for many, Lopez’s ability to defend it shows her resilience and pride in her work, regardless of the circumstances surrounding its release. Whether or not Gigli will truly achieve the resurgence Lopez envisions remains to be seen, but her unwavering support for the film has become part of her legacy—one that proves her dedication to her craft, even in the face of failure.