6 Times Jennifer Lopez's Former Staff Turned On Her
JLo can go pretty low.
Tinseltown / Shutterstock Jennifer Lopez has become one of the biggest stars in the world since she began her career in 1989.
As a singer, dancer and actor, JLo seems to have it all. Jenny from the Block reportedly has a net worth of more than $400 million, and her personal life seems to be going well after recently marrying Ben Affleck.
However, it hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows throughout Lopez’ career. The “Selena” star has dealt with her share of controversies, and many involve her former employees. Here are just a few of the ex-employees who have turned on the superstar.
Here are former staff who have turned on Jennifer Lopez.:
1. JLo's former manager accused her of lying.
For most of their time together, Lopez and Benny Medina have been good friends and business partners. Medina first began managing Lopez’ career in 1999, and resumed in 2008 after a brief split. He is also the godfather to Lopez’ two children, twins Emma and Max.
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However, the two weren’t always on good terms. In 2003, Lopez fired her manager and accused him of violating California’s Talent Agency Act. In her complaint, Lopez sought “full restitution” from Medina and his agency, as well as 10% interest.
Shortly after Lopez filed her suit, Medina issued a statement about the situation to the Hollywood Reporter.
”The accusation that I misappropriated money from Jennifer Lopez is both untrue and offensive … Jennifer Lopez, by making false allegations against me, is now trying to add me to the long list of people whom she has used and discarded after she took from them all she could get … I look forward to the opportunity to have the world come to know the real Jennifer Lopez,” Medina said. “I will defend myself against these lies and will collect from her every dollar for which I am owed.”
Lopez later rehired Medina and the two, who remain close friends, still work together to this day.
2. Jennifer Lopez's agent hit back after she fired him.
At the same time Lopez fired Medina, she also fired Patrick Whitesell, her agent with Endeavor Talent Agency. According to E!, Endeavor demanded that Lopez fire Medina or leave the agency. Instead, she ditched both of them.
At the time, Whitesell also represented Affleck, Lopez’ boyfriend. Whitesell had only represented Lopez for a few months before the firing. Based on Endeavor’s statement to Variety on the situation, Lopez and the agency weren’t missing each other.
“Endeavor has parted company with Jennifer Lopez,” the agency said in a statement. “Jennifer is an incredibly talented actress and a good friend, and we wish her much continued success. However, as an agency, we were no longer able to work with her manager, Benny Medina. We thought it best for Jennifer and Endeavor that we part company at this time.”
3. A former assistant couldn't stand JLo's boyfriend.
Lopez and Mariah Carey have been apparent rivals in the music industry for quite a while now. So naturally, when one of Lopez’ assistants left to work with Carey, the former wasn’t having it.
Geenranjali 'Gilly' Iyer had been a longtime assistant to Lopez before bolting to join Carey in 2013. Reportedly, the key factor in Iyer’s departure was Lopez’ boyfriend at the time, Casper Smart. Smart allegedly had free reign throughout the house, and would treat Lopez’ staff poorly with no resistance.
"That upset Gilly," a source told Radar Online. "Casper always insisted that Jennifer’s staff call him Mr. Smart and even demanded that Gilly get him drinks."
4. Jennifer Lopez's makeup artist said she blacklisted him.
As iconic as JLo’s makeup is, few can name who was really behind the look. That would be Scott Barnes, who many credit as giving Lopez her signature “Glow.” He has also worked with several other celebrities, including Beyonce and Gwen Stefani.
Even with the massive impact Barnes had on her career, Lopez wouldn’t let that impact her personal life. When her secret wedding with Marc Anthony leaked, Barnes was the prime suspect and Lopez’ team gave him the cold shoulder. Barnes talked about the experience on an episode of “The Jeff Probst Show”.
“Nobody would talk to me, it was like I had the plague,” Barnes said.
5. Jennifer Lopez's driver took a lawsuit against her.
Chauffeurs work a thankless job, just ask Manoukian. According to TMZ, Lopez promoted Hakob Manoukian to her personal Head of Security and Transportation. Later that same year, he found himself in a legal battle with the pop star’s team.
The Iraq-born chauffeur claimed that Lopez promised him an annual base salary of $72,000, with a “production pay” that would make his actual salary $200,000. Manoukian said that Lopez not only failed to pay him what she promised, but also that Medina verbally berated him.
Lopez countersued Manoukian for extortion, but her suit was dismissed in December 2012. The two eventually settled on undisclosed terms.
6. A hotel cleaner claimed JLo had her fired.
Pray Dodaj happened to be cleaning Lopez’ hotel room in Germany during her 2012 world tour. As a big fan of Lopez, Dodaj tried to ask the star for an autograph, only to have two of her assistants stop her. Soon after, Dodaj was out of a job, and she believed she knew the reason.
“A day later the cleaning company that employed me at the hotel called and said that Ms. Lopez had complained,” Dodaj told the Daily Star. “I was fired right there on the phone. Because of an autograph."
However, Lopez herself denied the claims with one single tweet.
“C'mon thought you knew me better than this,” Lopez tweeted. “Would never get anyone fired over an autograph. First I heard of this was on Twitter.”
Jonathan Alfano is a writer who focuses on news and entertainment topics. Follow him on Twitter to keep up with his content.