50 Interesting Facts about Jennifer Lopez: How She Went from a Dancer to a Singer and Actress

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Jennifer Lopez is an actress, singer, fashion designer, business woman, judge, mother and so much more. Jennifer is one of Hollywood's leading ladies who's also forged a successful pop and dance music career. Here are 50 interesting facts about this superstar from Bronx, New York.

1. Her full name is Jennifer Lynn Lopez and she was born in the Bronx, NY, on July 24, 1969. Grew up on Blackrock Avenue.

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2. Her father is a computer specialist and her mother is a kindergarten teacher.

3. She began taking singing and dancing lessons when she was 5 years old.

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4. Jennifer attended an all-girl schools, graduating from the Bronx's Preston High School.

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5. Jennifer moved to Manhattan to learn how to dance and would sleep in the studio where she was practicing.

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6. One of her first gigs was in Japan where she was a dancer in the musical Synchronicity.

7. In her early days, she was singer for the band One her first big gigs was dancing behind New Kids on the Block at the American Music Awards.

8. Her big break was on the TV comedy series "In Living Color" where she was one the "Fly Girls."

9. Jennifer worked with Janet Jackson on the video "That's The Way Love Goes" and on Janet's tours.

10. Growing up, Jennifer has always been a very fit lady. Her nickname at the gyms was "La Guitarra" because her body curved like a guitar.

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11. Meanwhile, in her hometown neighborhood, the Bronx, her nickname was "The Supernova".

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12. Her first major film was Gregory Nava's "Mi Familia: My Family"

13. Jennifer was on the first cover of Latina magazine in 1996.

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14. Her first headlining role was as Selena Quintanilla-Pérez in 1997's "Selena."

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15. She was paid $1 million for her role in "Selena," 1997.

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16. JLO lent her voice to the animated film "Antz" in 1998.

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17. While filming "Money Train" with Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes, they both made a pass at her which she turned down. Later in an interview, she said "He (Snipes) wouldn't talk to me for two months. I was like, 'What an a-----.'"

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18. That definitely wasn't the last time she was hit on on set. She also said Stephen Dorff made a pass at her while they were filming "Blood and Wine" with Jack Nicholson in Miami in 1998. He "got really upset" after being denied, Lopez related, she told him, "Look, I'm just not interested at this point in my life, but don't pull a Wesley on me!'"

19. She also met her first husband, Cuban waiter Ojani Noa, while filming "Blood and Wine." She was 23 at the time.

20. The marriage lasted 13 months.

21. J.Lo is also the first actress to have a movie ("The Wedding Planner") and an album hit number one in the same week. Lopez's second album, JLo, was released on January 23, 2001 and it was an instant hit.

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22. She launched her clothing line called JLO by Jennifer Lopez in 2001.

23. Earned $15 million for her role in 2005's Monster-in-Law, making her the highest paid Latina actress in Hollywood at the time.

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24. She also has her own production company, Nuyorican Productions, founded with former manager Benny Medina.

25. Jennifer is the only woman to twice be voted FHM's Sexiest Woman in the World.

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26. Jennifer wears a size six shoe.

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27. While working on her debut album On the 6, she met and began dating Sean Combs. In 1999, Jennifer Lopez and musician Sean Combs were arrested as a result of a nightclub shooting when police found them with a stolen gun. The charges against Lopez were dropped, but the charges against Combs stayed.

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28. She met Husband #1, Cris Judd, while filming the video for "Love Don't Cost A Thing": He was a dancer. She was linked to him even while still dating P. Diddy Combs. They were divorced after 9 months of marriage.

29. After divorcing from Judd, she began a stormy high-profile romance with Ben Affleck. They met while filming "Gigli." In March 2002, he took out a $3000 full-page ad in The Hollywood Reporter complimenting Lopez on her "graciousness of spirit, beauty in courage, great empathy, astonishing talent, real poise and true grace."

30. They became known as "Bennifer" in tabloids and were extremely popular. Careerwise, the couple were featured together in two subpar movies (Gigli and Jersey Girl).

31. Ben proposed to her in November 2002 with a 6.1-carat pink diamon. However, the couple postponed their nuptials indefinitely a day prior to the planned ceremony in September 2003, citing the media's interference with the event as the reason.

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32. It was also in 2002 that Lopez engaged to Ben Affleck and wrote the song "Dear Ben" about him and how much she loved him.

33. Following her break-up with Affleck in January 2004, Lopez began dating long-time friend Marc Anthony. The couple wed that June.

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34. Ironically enough, her ex-husband Cris Judd and ex-fiancée Ben Affleck share the same birthday. Ben is three years younger.

35. Marc's nickname for her was, "Lola."

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36. Jennifer turned down the role of Sara in Hitch which co-starred Will Smith.

37. Earned the No. 1 position in In Touch Magazine countdown of top 10 "Best Bottoms In Hollywood" in August 2007.

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38. In 2006 and 2007, Jennifer Lopez worked further behind the scenes as an executive producer of the television series "South Beach" and "Dance Life", the film "Feel the Noise" and the mini-series "Jennifer Lopez Presents: Como Ama una Mujer".

39. Lopez announced on the last night of her "En Concierto" tour that she and hubby Marc Anthony were expecting twins!

40. Lopez gave birth to a son, Maximilian David and a daughter, Emme Maribel, in Long Island, New York on February 22, 2008.

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41. Lopez and her twins were featured on the cover of the March 11, 2008 issue of People magazine when they were four weeks old. Lopez was paid $6 million for the photos.

42. After having the babies, she took time off to enjoy motherhood. She returned 15 months later to film "The Back-Up Plan".

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43. Lopez filed a lawsuit against ex-husband Ojani Noa in 2009 alleging that he is trying to publicize home videos of her.

44. She and husband Marc Anthony announced they would end their 7-year marriage on July 15.

45. Jennifer was considered for the role of Gloria the Hippo in Madagascar but it went to Jada Pinkett Smith.

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46. Since October 2011, Lopez has been in a relationship with her former back-up dancer Casper Smart. Lopez has stated, "I am a non-traditional family. Me being a single mom, their dad doesn't live at home with them. They have three stepbrothers from two other mothers...that's not traditional"

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47. Lopez launched "Q'Viva! The Chosen" in 2012, a talent show created by Simon Fuller, that followed Lopez, Marc Anthony and director-choreographer Jamie King as they traveled across 21 Latin American countries to find talent for a Las Vegas show. Marc Anthony and JLO were only getting along on the TV show, as they filed for divorce after seven years of marriage in April 2012.

48. Jennifer has been a judge on American Idol for three season, 10, 11 and 13.

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49. She does not drink alcohol.

50. Lopez sang happy birthday to repressive Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov on July 1, 2-13 and it turns controversial. Her spokesman states that if Lopez knew that there were any "human rights issues of any kind" she would not have performed.

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