Why Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Tonight Show’ Appearance Was Canceled

Jennifer Lopez’s appearance this week on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon was abruptly scrapped. Lopez was scheduled to appear on Wednesday, May 3’s episode of the long-running late-night talk show, but the episode was ultimately canceled after the Writers Guild of America began a strike on Tuesday.

Ken Jeong, Emma Chamberlain, and Arlo Parks were scheduled to appear on Tuesday’s show, with Lopez, J.J. Watts, and Nanna set for Wednesday night appearances. Thursday’s episode was set to see Elle Fanning, Bowen Yang, and Arya Starr join Fallon, with Friday’s guests set to include Rachel Brosnahan, Gaby Moreno, and Oscar Isaac. However, all of these guest appearances have been scrapped as late-night talk shows officially went dark Tuesday due to the strike, The Tonight Show among them. It is unclear whether these guests will be rescheduled for later appearances after the strike ends and production in Hollywood resumes, something that could be months away.

The current Hollywood shutdown is in response to failed negotiations between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The two groups had been in negotiations for weeks attempting to work out a deal before their contract expired at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, with the WGA fighting for “increased residuals for streaming programs, more transparency about streaming audiences, minimum staffing levels for writers rooms and regulations on the use of artificial intelligence in writing,” per The Hollywood Reporter. When talks stalled and an agreement was not met, the WGA officially began a strike at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday. Per WGA guidelines, amid the strike, writers are barred from doing any writing or rewriting during the strike and cannot attend meetings or negotiate with studios, pitch new projects, enter agreements to option their work, or attend promotional events for existing projects, per CBS News.

Although the strike has directly impacted Fallon, he has voiced his support for writers, stating, “Whatever I can do to support the [Writers] Guild…I couldn’t do the show without them. I wouldn’t have a show if it wasn’t for my writers, I support them all the way.” According to Deadline, NBC is reportedly paying staff through the end of next week, with both Fallon and fellow late-night talk show host Seth Meyers, who are both members of the WGA, set to pay for their crews for a third week. Staffers will also have their healthcare extended through September.