Jennifer Lopez’s First Big Paycheck Splurge Was Upgrading From Her Honda Hatchback
Jennifer Lopez is one of Hollywood’s most glamorous stars, a woman who has conquered stage and screen, as well as the music industry. Lopez first started her ascent to fame in the mid-nineties, and she is still going strong, several decades later.
Although she is a wealthy woman now, she comes from humble beginnings — and in a 2016 interview, Lopez revealed the surprisingly relatable way that she spent her first big paycheck after becoming a success in Hollywood. Hint: J.Lo upgraded her ride.
How did Jennifer Lopez get started in show business?
Lopez was born in New York City in 1969. Raised by working-class parents, Lopez always had big aspirations, even as a child. She began taking singing and dancing lessons when she was only five years old and started performing in stage productions with her school. Lopez was also athletic in high school, taking gymnastics lessons and running track.
In the 80s, Lopez discovered that she had a talent for acting after she answered an audition for a low-budget film titled My Little Girl. After working a series of odd jobs, and acting in a variety of theater productions, Lopez got her big break in 1991, when she joined the cast of In Living Color as a “Fly Girl.”
From there, it was a quick ascent to the top for Lopez, and she soon began landing roles in movies such as Anaconda, Money Train, Blood and Wine, and Out of Sight. By the late 90s, Lopez was a certified movie star, and over time, she has become one of the leading forces in the entertainment industry, blazing trails for women everywhere.
What is Jennifer Lopez’s net worth today?
Lopez has many interests, and in addition to her film and music career, she has become a businesswoman of the highest caliber. She has launched fragrance lines, a makeup collection, several fashion lines, and has been involved in a skincare brand.
Additionally, Lopez is a power-player behind the scenes in her entertainment projects, retaining a say in the final version of everything that she releases to the public. She rose from humble beginnings, but these days, Lopez has a reported net worth of $400 million.
While she loves to splurge on things like luxury vacations and super-expensive candles, it wasn’t that long ago that she was driving to auditions in her Honda hatchback. In 2016, Lopez opened up about the story behind the hatchback, and how she eventually upgraded to a fancier vehicle.
What did Jennifer Lopez spend her first big paycheck on?
In her 2016 roundtable interview, Lopez talked about what it was like to start making big money in Hollywood. She revealed: “I was driving a Honda hatchback that Keenen Ivory Wayans had given me when I was a Fly Girl, and I had been driving it to every audition and everything. And when I got a regular series, I bought a car. I bought a Mercedes.”
Lopez didn’t state what series it was, but the role she is referring to is likely her 1993 starring turn in the short-lived CBS comedy, Second Chances.
“It was a huge deal,” Lopez recalled. “It wasn’t a hatchback! It wasn’t a Honda…. I remember, though, I was signing the lease to the car and I was breaking up with my boyfriend the same week. That’s what I remember. We were in the dealership, and I was crying but I was buying the car, and he was going back. It became a thing, like, ‘I’m gonna be on my own.’ He had been living with me. We had been dating for 10 years. And I was like, ‘That’s it. The hatchback is out, and so are you!'”
