“It was so tense”: Jennifer Lopez and Ex-husband Marc Anthony’s Abusive Moment in ‘El Cantante’ Was So Intense It Almost Made Marc Leave the Movie
The multitalented diva Jennifer Lopez is currently married to Oscar-winning actor Ben Affleck. This isn’t JLo’s first marriage as, before Affleck, Lopez had been linked to several high-profile romances. She has also been married four times, but unfortunately, her married life with her then-partners didn’t work out. Before Affleck, JLo’s last partner was American singer Marc Anthony.
Lopez married Anthony in 2004 and separated from him in 2011, ending their 7-year marriage. JLo shared a strong bond with her then-husband, Anthony. The former couple even appeared together in a movie. Contrary to their relationship, the duo portrayed the role of a violent couple in the film. While filming the movie, things got so intense between them that Anthony decided to quit.
Why did Marc Anthony want to quit the film with Jennifer Lopez?
Jennifer Lopez once appeared in the musical drama film El Cantante alongside her then-husband Marc Anthony. El Cantante is a biographical film about singer Hector Lavoe. In the film, Anthony portrayed the lead character, and Lopez played the character of his wife. The movie marked the former couple’s first onscreen appearance.
Anthony and Lopez depict a disturbed couple’s relationship in the film. Unlike their relationship in real life, the couple they portrayed in the film was violent and abusive. Before signing the film, the couple was made aware of its violent concept. During an interview, Anthony explained,
“All my actor friends warned us, saying, ‘Those abusive husband-and-wife scenes are going to be difficult. It almost scared me into quitting.”
Even after being skeptical about the film, Anthony chose to work on it because he believed that the violent scene in the movie would strengthen their relationship and positively impact their marriage at that time. While talking about the film, Anthony recalled,
“With those scenes, we’d end up exhausted. But driving home, we’d just look at each other and say, ‘We are so normal.’”
Lopez also shared her experience working in the film El Cantante alongside Anthony. Lopez shared about a fight scene in the movie where she got so engrossed in her character that it led to tension between her and Anthony. JLo said,
“I decided that I was going to literally go after Marc in one scene. I did it the first take, and I didn’t really go after him, and then in the second take, I decided I was just going to push him and I wanted to get him out of the house. Just get out! Because he wanted to leave. I pushed him.”
JLo later revealed that she tried to improvise the scene, for which Anthony wasn’t prepared. While Anthony became clueless about the shot, JLo remained in her character, which intensified the whole scenario. JLo said,
“He grabs my arm, and I’m like let go! Let go of my arm right now!’ and we start getting into it. All of a sudden he’s like Jennifer!’ I’m calling him Hector, he’s calling me Jennifer, and suddenly the whole set just breaks up because it was so tense.”
Empathizing with the character is a sign of a good actor, and JLo did every possible thing she could to ace the role. Despite her dedication to the film, it failed at the box office.
What’s up with the former couple’s romantic life currently?
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony are happily married to different individuals in their lives. After parting ways with Anthony in 2011, JLo was linked to some high-profile men. In 2022, JLo officially tied the knot for the fourth time with Ben Affleck. JLo and Affleck are one of the most beloved couples in Hollywood.
Marc Anthony, on the other hand, married Nadia Ferreira earlier this year, in January 2023. After separating from Lopez, Anthony married Venezuelan model Shannon De Lima in 2014. Unfortunately, the bond didn’t last long, as the couple divorced after two years.
Even after separating, Lopez and Anthony are on good terms. The former couple shares two children.
Source: Showbiz CheatSheet
