Jennifer Lopez made her first major public appearance since she filed for divorce from Ben Affleck, as she appeared in a prerecorded segment Sunday at the American Music Awards 50th Anniversary Special.
The actress-singer, 55, said in the segment that she had childhood memories of watching the award show, inspiring her on her path to international superstardom.
'It's pretty incredible, right?' the perennial A-lister said. 'Fifty years of the American Music Awards. I remember watching them at home when I was a little girl.'
The Love Don't Cost a Thing artist noted how she made her American Music Awards debut in 2001, recalling: 'It was so long ago - but the energy in the room was very electric.'
The Jenny from the Block songstress filed for divorce from Ben Affleck on August 20 - their two-year wedding anniversary following their lavish Georgia ceremony in 2022.
The On the Floor vocalist was clad in a pink blouse during the segment for the show. Lopez reflected on a 2011 victory in the Favorite Latin Artist category, saying that it was 'just a humbling experience.'
She added, 'Winning a fan-voted award is incredibly special because it's directly from the people that you make the music for.'
The If You Had My Love artist said it had been 'a huge honor' to host the proceedings in 2015, and went in multiple styles as she sported a variety of ensembles at the ceremony.
'I decided that I was gonna change for every time I came out there,' Lopez said. 'We did this dance medley to all of these amazing songs from that year, and I wanted everyone to feel that love and energy.'
The Hustlers actress added, 'Maybe I'll do it again one day. Who knows?'
Lopez, who has performed at the event multiple times, said she believes 'music really does have the power to heal and uplift and to connect us, and the AMAs have been showcasing that for half a century now.'
She added that she was 'excited for the next 50 years of music - and magic.'
On X, formerly known as Twitter, fans admitted they were disappointed that the musician didn't bother to show up to the awards show in person.
'Jennifer Lopez looked amazing, but I wish she'd been there in person #AMAs,' one person tweeted, while another wrote: 'Not her not even attending.'
Someone else directed their anger towards the AMAs, tagging the official account and writing: 'Show us more JLo.'
The Maid in Manhattan star's August 20, 2024 filing from Affleck came after months of speculation swirling around the relationship between the A-list singer-actress and actor-director, 52, with their relationship woes dominating the Hollywood headlines over multiple months.
Lopez filed the divorce documents on the two-year anniversary of their nuptials at Affleck's estate outside of Savannah, Georgia on August 20, 2022.
Lopez and Affleck made headlines in 2021 when they rekindled their romance, nearly 17 years after calling off their original engagement and postponing their September 2003 wedding.
In April 2021, reports surfaced that the musician and the Oscar-winning director were reconnecting after Lopez’s breakup with former MLB star Alex Rodriguez.
The couple confirmed their relationship on Instagram that July and made their red carpet return at the 2021 Venice Film Festival, and subsequently exchanged vows at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas on July 16, 2022.
'In the end it was the best possible wedding we could have imagined,' Lopez said in her newsletter On the JLo on July 17, 2022. 'One we dreamed of long ago and one made very real (in the eyes of the state, Las Vegas, a pink convertible and one another) at very, very, long last.'
The couple again exchanged vows at Affleck's estate outside of Savannah, Georgia on August 20, 2022, two years to the day prior to Lopez's divorce filing. The guest list included Matt Damon, Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, and Hollywood talent agent Patrick Whitesell and the ceremony was officiated by podcaster and life coach Jay Shetty.
Lopez is mother to 16-year-old twins, Max and Emme, from her marriage to Marc Anthony, which lasted from 2004 to 2014.
Affleck, who was married to Jennifer Garner from 2005 to 2018, has three children with her: 18-year-old Violet, 15-year-old Fin, and 12-year-old Samuel.
The two-hour retrospective special aired Sunday, filling the time slot originally held by the 2024 AMAs, which has been pushed to May 2025.
The long-running awards show, which premiered in 1974, will make its CBS debut after 49 years on ABC. The changes were announced by Dick Clark Productions in late April.
On Thursday, the official American Music Awards Instagram account teased her upcoming spot with its nearly one million followers.
Sharing a montage of performance clips, the caption read: '@jlo has been no stranger to the #AMAs over the last 50 years, and she’ll be back this SUNDAY to celebrate the #AMAs50 with us on @cbstv and streaming on @paramountplus.'
Other celebrities who appeared at the anniversary celebration included Mariah Carey, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, and Jennifer Hudson.
Nelly, Nile Rodgers & Chic, and Sheila E. were among the talent that composed the lineup of talent slated to hit the stage, with Kate Hudson, Lance Bass, Samuel L. Jackson and Reba McEntire also appearing.
The broadcast featured special guests, artist interviews, special guests, and never-seen footage from Dick Clark Productions' archive.
The segments offered a retrospective on particular artists and genres and marked award and performance milestones.
Per a press release, the program was slated to 'serve as a tribute to the past 50 years and feature dazzling new performances, heartfelt artist interviews, legendary special guests... and iconic moments that have defined the awards show and shaped pop culture.'
Kane Brown highlighted the impact of country music with a performance that includes classic and present day hits.
Mariah Carey kicked off the 20th anniversary celebration of her album The Emancipation of Mimi, which will turn 20 in April 2025.
Singer-songwriter Raye graced the stage to deliver a rendition of James Brown's 1966 hit It's A Man's Man's Man's World.
