Jennifer Lopez allegedly asked her former co-star Ryan Guzman to pretend to be single to promote their 2015 film “The Boy Next Door,” according to allegations made by Guzman’s ex-girlfriend Melanie Iglesias. Iglesias claimed that publicists for the movie called her and informed her that she and Guzman were seen at afterparties together, holding hands and creating the illusion of being more than friends. They were dating and walking red carpets together at the same time that Guzman was doing press junkets with Lopez for the movie, where he played Lopez’s much-younger love interest.
During press events surrounding the movie, there were reports of Lopez and Guzman being cozy at a Golden Globes afterparty, which supported Iglesias’ claim that they were urged to create a PR relationship to promote the film. There were rumors circulating about the nature of their relationship, and in a clip from “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Lopez pretended not to know whether Guzman had a girlfriend when asked about it. Iglesias expressed disappointment at Lopez for not acknowledging her during this time and trying to intimidate her when they first met at an awards show, despite having mutual Puerto Rican-American roots.
Despite the uncomfortable interactions she had with Lopez, Iglesias initially agreed to go along with the PR relationship that Lopez allegedly wanted to create with Guzman, until she noticed him coming home late after afterparties. She did not understand the need for creating the illusion of a relationship with everyone she starred in a movie with for promotional purposes and questioned Lopez’s faith in the movie itself. Their relationship ended a few months after the release of “The Boy Next Door,” and Iglesias expressed disappointment in the entire situation, questioning why relationships needed to be fabricated for movie promotion.
While representatives for Lopez and Guzman were contacted for comments on the matter, neither have publicly admitted to having a relationship during that time. This was not the first instance of suspicion surrounding Lopez’s relationship status during the release of “The Boy Next Door.” In March 2015, there were reports that Lopez had broken up with her then-boyfriend Casper Smart but was still seen together at multiple events, leading to speculation about the authenticity of their breakup. Producers reportedly wanted Lopez and Smart to pretend not to be together to promote their individual projects.
Jennifer Lopez has faced several controversies recently, including accusations of not having enough loyalty to the Bronx, which may have contributed to poor ticket sales for her rebranded concert tour. Despite the various allegations and rumors surrounding Lopez and her relationships, particularly during the release of “The Boy Next Door,” she has not addressed these claims publicly. The film ended up being a success at the box office, but it is clear that there were underlying issues and tensions surrounding the promotional efforts for the movie.
