Jennifer Lopez faced backlash from fans following a controversial performance at the American Music Awards in Las Vegas on Memorial Day.
The 55-year-old pop icon opened the star-studded ceremony with an energetic routine, performing hits such as her 2012 single Dance Again before transitioning into Benson Boone’s Beautiful Things and Teddy Swims’ Lose Control. During the performance, Lopez surprised viewers by kissing both a male and female dancer on stage.
First kissing a male performer, Lopez then shared a prolonged kiss with a female dancer who grabbed her by the head. The moment caused confusion and criticism online, with many fans taking to social media to express disapproval.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) claimed the singer had “lost the plot,” while another questioned: “Why is Jennifer Lopez kissing everyone at the AMAs?” A third viewer remarked: “Just looked up from my phone and JENNIFER LOPEZ IS KISSING A GIRL?!?!”
Speculation also emerged that the kiss was a deliberate move to provoke her ex-husband Ben Affleck, following the recent finalisation of their divorce.
Lopez, dressed in a revealing semi-sheer catsuit embellished with silver and jewel detailing, also sported sleek, straight hair for the occasion. She delivered a string of chart-topping songs, including Billie Eilish’s Birds Of A Feather and Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us, alongside multiple outfit changes.
The performance marked Lopez’s return to hosting the AMAs, having first taken on the role in 2015. She made her debut on the AMAs stage in 2001 and has since performed 10 times at the prestigious awards show.
Ahead of the event, organisers praised her comeback. Jay Penske, CEO of Dick Clark Productions, said: “Jennifer’s incredible talent and incomparable stage presence make her the ideal host… We know she will bring her one-of-a-kind energy to the official kick-off celebration of summer.”
The Love Don’t Cost a Thing star also revealed she suffered a facial injury during rehearsals. Sharing a photo of herself with an ice pack on her nose, she wrote: “So this happened…”
Lopez later showed the cut in a makeup-free selfie, confirming she required stitches and crediting her celebrity plastic surgeon, Dr Jason Diamond, for the treatment.
Meanwhile, Ben Affleck, 52, recently opened up about their split, describing it as “embarrassing” but without drama. The Argo director said their differences in views on fame contributed to the end of the marriage.
Affleck and Lopez were first engaged between 2002 and 2004 before calling it off. They rekindled their romance in 2021, marrying in Las Vegas in July 2022, followed by a larger ceremony in Georgia. Less than two years later, they confirmed their separation, with the divorce finalised in February 2025.
