Leah Remini Sets the Record Straight on Friendship with Jennifer Lopez Amid Divorce Rumors
OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Leah Remini has put to rest speculation that her friendship with longtime pal Jennifer Lopez is strained or over. In a candid interview with Us Weekly published June 4, Remini emphasized that while their communication may have slowed, the bond of friendship remains strong.
“Sometimes you don’t talk to people every day like you used to, but that doesn’t mean the love is lost,” Remini said. “Friendships ebb and flow. That doesn’t mean we’re at odds.”
Both stars recently faced major life changes, filing for divorce within days of each other in August 2024—Lopez from Ben Affleck on August 20, and Remini from her husband of more than 20 years, Angelo Pagán, shortly thereafter. Despite these upheavals, Remini revealed that they kept in touch during that challenging period.
“Right after the divorce, we’d text each other loving messages of support,” she shared.
Since leaving the Church of Scientology in 2013, Remini acknowledged that her lifestyle has shifted significantly. “I really retreated (after leaving),” she explained. “But also not really wanting to leave the house that much. I started to come out a bit but was still careful and cautious.”
These changes have naturally altered her social circles. “I cherish my friendships and not everybody is meant to be in your life in the way that they were,” Remini reflected. “When you grow out of that person that you were, that doesn’t mean that you are at odds with them. I have many friends that I don’t talk to every day. That doesn’t mean we’re at odds — it’s just that I’m at a different place and so are they.”
She also highlighted that meaningful friendships exist outside the entertainment industry. “I have friends that are not in the business that are also meaningful,” she said.
Rumors of tension between Remini and Lopez surfaced after Remini did not attend Lopez’s 2022 wedding to Affleck. But Remini has consistently shown warmth and humor in public interactions with Lopez. In March 2022, she delighted fans with a playful TikTok poking fun at Lopez’s impeccable glam.
“Here’s me: normal,” Remini said in the video, showing herself in a baseball cap and little makeup. Then, she panned the camera to Lopez, perfectly styled and radiant. “Can you be ugly once? Just be normal once,” Remini joked, as Lopez laughed along.
Remini also spoke about her closest friends today, naming RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage, Holly Robinson, Tisha Campbell, and Chelsea Handler as her “lifeline.”
As these two iconic women navigate major life transitions, Remini’s words remind us that friendships evolve but the affection and support can remain steadfast—even when life pulls friends in different directions.
@leahremini It’s so annoying! #pool #besties #jlo #headwrap #sunglasses
