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Jennifer Lopez revealed to audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival the moving reason she was drawn to her new movie, “Unstoppable.”
The star, 55, got personal during an audience Q&A on Friday following the premiere of the inspiring sports drama based on the true story of Anthony Robles, the NCAA champion wrestler born with only one leg.
Lopez, who plays Robles’ mother, Judy, said Judy’s struggle with domestic violence compelled her to take the role, as Judy’s struggle was “similar” to her own.
Part of “Unstoppable,” based on Anthony’s memoir of the same name, recounts Judy’s abuse at the hands of her husband. Played by Bobby Cannavale, Judy’s husband — who was not Anthony’s biological father — punches a hole in a wall and leaves marks on her arm in the movie.
“When I read the script, I felt like so many women including myself could relate to the struggles that she had gone through in her life,” Lopez said. “And the story, being a Latino story, being so inspiring. It was something that kind of grabbed me. And I was, like, OK, this is really really interesting.”
“But then when I met Judy [Robles] — we met over zoom — I was, like, I really need to talk to this person,” the “Atlas” actress added. “Thank God they’re alive! Because I’ve played real life people too. I played Selena, I played Puchi. And I didn’t have, I wasn’t able to speak to them obviously. So this was a different kind of experience.”
She continued, “Just talking to her I realized we’re almost the same person in a weird way even though we’re so different and had such different lives — that at the core, in the heart of who we were, first we were moms. And beyond that we had similar struggles.”
Judy joined Lopez, Cannavale and Don Cheadle, who also stars in the movie, for the Q&A. Lopez introduced Judy as she took the stage.
“It was a pleasure and an honor to not only meet but to portray a woman who poured her heart, her soul and her blood literally into her children, teaching them that nothing is more important than family,” Lopez said.
“Against all odds and obstacles she rose leading by example to show her children that they too could be unstoppable.”
In her 2024 documentary “The Greatest Love Story Never Told,” she spoke about past abusive relationships.
“There were people in my life who said ‘I love you’ and then didn’t do things that were kind of in line with the word ‘love.’ Being thrown around and manhandled like that is not fun,” Lopez shared without naming the ex she was referring to.
“I mean, I was never in a relationship where I got beat up, thank God, but I’ve definitely been manhandled and a couple of other unsavory things. Rough. Disrespectful,” she clarified.
Lopez has a long list of exes, including Diddy, Alex Rodriguez, Tommy Mottola, three former husbands: Ojani Noa, Cris Judd, Marc Anthony, and her most recent, Ben Affleck.
Lopez produced “Unstoppable” with Affleck and his lifelong best friend Matt Damon.
She filed for divorce on August 20 after two years of marriage to the “Argo” director.
While Affleck was a no-show at the premiere, Lopez shined in a show-stopping mirror ball gown with sky-high slits.
As expected, Damon joined the “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” singer on the red carpet. The two posed together for photos along with the rest of the cast.