Netflix is reportedly insisting interviewers stay on topic with Jennifer Lopez. The actress is out promoting her new movie Atlas, and she scolded a reporter who asked about the rumors of her divorce from Ben Affleck at a junket on Wednesday. Now, insiders tell TMZ that Netflix is telling all reporters at these events that questions about Affleck are off-limits.
Atlas is a new Netflix original film that Lopez produced and starred in, so she is working hard to promote it. However, the timing is a challenge since the past week has seen headlines about Lopez and Affleck struggling in their marriage. On Thursday, TMZ’s sources said that Lopez will not do any individual interviews on this press tour, instead sticking to group junkets with her co-stars Simu Liu and Sterling K. Brown. They said that reporters were told not to ask about Affleck at every event this week, though the Mexico City premiere on Monday seems to be the first time someone has tried to break that rule.
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Lopez and Liu were taking questions from a group of reporters all at once on Wednesday when one of them asked: “Is your divorce with Ben Affleck real? These rumors? What is the truth?” In a video from the event, you can see Liu interrupting and trying to deflect, as Lopez stares coldly at the unidentified reporter.
“OK, we’re not doing that. Thank you so much guys, we really appreciate it. Thank you,” Liu said. “Come on, don’t come in with that energy, please.”
Meanwhile, Lopez said sternly: “You know better than that.” It sounds like she may have been referencing rules laid out in advance by Netflix and other event organizers. The 54-year-old already made it through an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live without discussing the reports, though up until now she hasn’t had to dodge any questions.
Last week, paparazzi photographers discovered that Affleck was not staying at the L.A. home he shared with Lopez, instead driving to separate rental house in the city. Anonymous sources told InTouch Weekly that the couple were “headed for divorce,” and more reports like that followed all week. So far, Affleck and Lopez have not commented publicly, and it sounds like they don’t want to right now. Atlas premieres on Netflix on Friday, May 24.
