Lopez, who is a vocal supporter of the Time's Up movement, has revealed her own experiences of abuse.
With the #MeToo and Time's Up movements gaining momentum across the globe, women who have faced any form of s-xual harassment of abuse are finally speaking up, and protesting the discrimination they have faced. From Hollywood biggies to activists, from the Golden Globes to the BAFTAs, these movements have found platforms and supporters everywhere.
And now, Jennifer Lopez, who is a staunch and vocal supporter of the Time's Up movement, has opened up about the s-xual harassment she faced.
The 48-year-old singer and actress delivered a speech in support of the Time's Up movement from a hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico in January 2018, which instantly made waves. "A lot of the women with #TimesUp are standing up for equality, to be treated equally, and for s-xual harassment. And I stand here today in black, doing the same from far away. And it's the same thing here in Puerto Rico: We want to be treated equally," she had remarked during the speech,
While her support has been encouraging, Lopez hadn't revealed her own experiences of s-xual abuse before. During an interview with Harper's Bazaar, however, she opened up about what happened to her. "I haven't been abused in the way some women have. But have I been told by a director to take off my shirt and show my boobs? Yes, I have," she revealed.
"But did I do it? No, I did not," Lopez added. She even acknowledged the fact that most women cannot speak up against any form of abuse for the fear of "jeopardizing their prospects". She herself went through a similar thought process. "When I did speak up, I was terrified. I remember my heart beating out of my chest, thinking, 'What did I do? This man is hiring me!'," she revealed.
"But in my mind I knew the behavior wasn't right," she added. "It could have gone either way for me. But I think ultimately the Bronx in me was like, 'Nah, we're not having it.'"
It is quite important to note here that while Lopez had the courage to say no, many women are unable to because the person exploiting them is in a clearly powerful position. It is this vulnerability and abuse of power that movements like Time's Up are fighting against.
