J. Lo stops traffic in London
Jaime Jeske
February 27, 2003
Star's enormous entourage is a London traffic stopper
By Adam Sherwin, Media Reporter
JENNIFER LOPEZ achieved what the congestion charge could not as her
enormous entourage, led by her mother, brought London to a standstill
yesterday.
The American actress and singer travelled to the premiere of her new
film, Maid in Manhattan, in a cavalcade of chauffeur-driven limousines.
The film echoes Lopez's rise from working-class girl in New York's Bronx
to $50 million superstar. She plays a lowly hotel maid who finds herself
falling for a wealthy politician, played by Ralph Fiennes.
But while she dominates the gossip columns, Ms Lopez's limited box
office appeal and poor British record sales suggests she is a superstar
by reputation only.
Last year, her album J To Tha L-O!: The Remixes was merely the 48th
bestseller of 2002. She sold 430,000 singles, and her bestseller Aint It
Funny was number 54 in the Top 100 last year.
Lopez, who is 33, starred in the film Angel Eyes ("A mysterious man
claims to be the guardian angel of a female police officer") but it took
only $25 million at the box office.
Her wealth largely rests on the millions of dollars she commands for
clothes, fashion endorsements and personal appearances. Her celebrity
relationships with Puff Daddy and her new fiancé Ben Affleck keep her in
the public eye and in demand.
But the impression of superstardom required Lopez to beat the previous
British entourage record set by Mike Tyson, when he arrived with a team
of 30 for his debut British performance three years ago.
The film star and singer was accompanied by a 35-strong team of
hairstylists, macrobiotic diet specialists, public relations consultants
and security guards when she arrived at Luton by private jet from Paris
at a cost of £3,800.
The party made regal progress to the Metropolitan Hotel, where 14 suites
where booked at a cost of £9,000. A room service bill for £2,200 was a
mere afterthought.
Maid In Manhattan, which opens in Britain next Friday, took $100 million
at the US box office, suggesting that her run of flop films might have
come to an end. She remains acclaimed for her breakthrough performance
in Steven Soderbergh's 1998 thriller Out Of Sight.
On her last trip to London, Lopez swept into the Top of the Pops studios
and took over ten dressing rooms, which she instructed to be painted
white and garlanded with lilies.
Tyson's team stayed at the Grosvenor House hotel in Park Lane, taking an
entire floor of five suites, each costing £750 a night. Eminem and his
entourage took a modest 12 £250-a-night rooms at the Chelsea Conrad
hotel.
Puff Daddy, Lopez's former partner, employs up to 60 hangers-on,
including a personal jewellery protector. The environmentally sound
Janet Jackson travels with a recycling consultant, while Sylvester
Stallone takes a professional golfer with him around the world.
Copyright 2003 Times Newspapers Ltd.
"The Daily Telegraph"
February 27, 2003
Screaming fans greet J-Lo's visit
By Hugh Davies, Entertainment Correspondent
Jennifer Lopez swept into the Odeon, Leicester Square, last night for
the premiere of her new film Maid in Manhattan. She was greeted by a
thousand screaming fans - and spent 30 minutes signing autographs.
As usual, Lopez arrived in London with an elaborate entourage of 35
helpers.
Her nightly bill at the Metropolitan Hotel in Park Lane - where she
booked 14 suites - was around £9,000. Her staff included bodyguards,
make-up artists, hairdressers, fitness advisers, diet specialists and a
public relations team.
Lopez is hoping that the film, which has topped the United States box
office, so far taking £59 million, will be a bigger hit than recent poor
performers such as Enough and Angel Eyes.
Lopez, 32, told German television this week that, contrary to media
hype, her legs and bottom are not protected financially. "No, they're
not insured. There are several rumours. But there are so many that three
hours wouldn't be enough time to discuss them all.
"Things are blown out of proportion. I have been going through it a long
time. It's just kind of humorous."
Guests expected at a post-premiere party at the Mezzo in Soho included
the singer's mother Guadalupe, her co-star Ralph Fiennes, Natasha
Richardson, Roger Moore and the supermodel Sophie Anderton.
Her fiance Ben Affleck, 30, star of a new American film Daredevil, has
said that marriage this summer was "a safe bet". Lopez's divorce from
her second husband, the dancer Cris Judd, was finalised last month.
© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2003.
"The Mirror"
Thursday, February 27, 2003
BOTTOM LINE FOR J-LO SHE WON'T STAY IN EX'S OLD HOTEL ROOM
SHE may play a chambermaid in her latest movie but don't think that
means Jennifer Lopez has any sympathy for the ones who have to put up
with her antics.
In Britain to promote Maid In Manhattan, which co-stars Ralph Fiennes,
the actress/singer checked into London's swish Metropolitan hotel.
Naturally, the management was presented with a very long list of
demands. They included Cristal champagne in her suite, white curtains,
white linen, white lilies, humidifiers and pricey Diptique candles.
On top of that, chefs were told that she wanted eggs for breakfast...
but they were only to use egg whites.
So far, so J-Lo. But even hotel staff were stunned by what happened
next.
Despite insisting that she's just plain old Jenny from the block, we're
told the Latina singer flew into a rage when she overheard a staff
member saying that she'd been checked into the same room used by her
ex-boyfriend P Diddy the last time he stayed there.
Angry J-Lo,who is engaged to actor Ben Affleck, split from Diddy, real
name Sean Combs, in January 2001. She told her flunkies that there was
no way she'd stay in the same room as her ex and demanded that her
belongings be moved into another suite as far away as the one used by
Diddy as possible.
How grown up of her.
"The whole thing was a farce," says a disgruntled staff member. "We had
to lug all of her stuff from one room to another - it took for ever.
"It wouldn't have been so bad if it hadn't taken so long to do up the
first room just the way she liked it.
"She was saying that she wouldn't be able to sleep in that room and that
she didn't like the view.
"But no one had the guts to tell her to grow up and stop being so silly.
Everyone was just bending over backwards to keep her happy."
Thankfully, by the time the 32-year-old star made it to last night's
premiere, she had just about managed to ditch the diva routine, spending
20 minutes signing autographs and meeting some of the 2,000-strong crowd
waiting for her in Leicester Square.
Despite appearances - she wore a revealing Yves Saint Laurent dress -
she also claimed that she had more in common with her chambermaid
character than her superstar persona.
J-Lo, who said absent Ben was in the US working on a script, claimed: "I
started out in the Bronx, I know what it's like to get on the train
everyday, work 9-5 and have dreams and aspirations. I definitely see a
lot of me in the character."
Yet when she flew in to Germany last week, she was accompanied by 20
staff - including two eye-brow specialists, a hairdresser, a colour
adviser, personal trainer and life coach. Grow up, love.
Demands of a diva
Cristal champagne, White curtains, White linen, White lilies,
Humidifiers, Expensive candles, Egg whites and... a room as far away as
possible from the one used by P Diddy!
Jaime