Jennifer Lopez and Leah Remini Have Been Friends for Almost 20 Years and Not Even Ben Affleck Can Get in the Way of That

Jennifer Lopez and Leah Remini have been friends for almost 20 years. In all this time, each of them has gone through their fair share of changes, but one thing remains the same: at any given moment, the actresses are ready to support each other through good times and bad. Jennifer and Leah know that true friends can tease each other endlessly, but they will never judge one another, or give away their innermost secrets.

Jennifer and Leah became friends thanks to Lopez’s ex-husband

Jennifer Lopez and Leah Remini met in 2004, at the premiere of Man on Fire. Leah’s old friend, Marc Anthony, decided to introduce her to his fiancée Jennifer. She happily agreed, although her intentions weren’t very kind. She honestly thought that, in real life, the famous singer and actress wouldn’t be as charming and perfect as on screen.

The disappointment she must have felt when Lopez appeared before her in all her glory! Remini even told Jennifer, in the most heartfelt way, that it’s almost obscene to be so pretty. Leah confessed that she tried desperately to find a flaw in her future friend, but she simply couldn’t.

Later, both Jennifer and Leah remarked that this meeting was destined to happen. They felt a genuine affection for each other from the moment they met, and quickly became best friends. Remini even said that they’re as close as real sisters. Lopez once shared: “I love this person. I love being around this person. This person makes me laugh.”

The friends have a lot in common

The mutual affection between the two actresses is not coincidental. Their connection lies not only in shared career interests, but also in very similar family values. Jennifer and Leah grew up and were brought up in similar circumstances. As Lopez noted: “We understand each other’s lives. We have similar lives, and similar careers, and we understand nuances that other people don’t understand, so that also bonded us.”

Lopez and Remini always have something to discuss. They can chat endlessly about their parents, husbands, colleagues, and children. Leah recalls how one day she just dropped in on her friend for dinner and ended up being staying for eight hours. Both women praise each other for their courage, caring, and unfailing honesty.

2018 saw the release of the film Second Act, in which Jennifer and Leah appeared together on screen for the first time. In the film, they were playing close friends. And it was the closeness of the two actresses, their intimate conversations and their habit of teasing each other, that helped Lopez and Remini to portray their roles authentically and make the film entertaining. The filming process itself was fun, too: in one scene, Leah decided to improvise and give her friend a little slap, for which she got one back, which caused her to cry from laughter.

They know that friends don’t judge one another

Lopez and Remini’s friendship consists of more than just happy and funny moments. It was Leah who helped her friend overcome her depression while she was going through her first difficult breakup with Ben Affleck. In turn, when Remini decided to change her life, and many of her old friends turned their backs on her, Jennifer was not afraid to stand up for Leah and support her. Leah later recalled: “She told me to keep the good things and move on with love. She doesn’t judge.”

Both friends like to tease each other

Leah never gets tired of joking that in any situation, while Jennifer always looks perfect. She even recorded a video of the two meeting by the pool. Remini, a little upset, noted that while she showed up in her most casual outfit, Lopez was stunning as usual: wearing a hair scarf and having adorned herself with jewelry. Leah complained that Jennifer can never look unattractive like a normal person.

Jennifer, on the other hand, teases her friend for her culinary talents. Lopez loves to cook, and remarks that she easily surpasses Leah in the kitchen. While Remini is always willing to share her friend’s recipes, one of the singer’s comments regarding Leah’s skills was not so positive. She said that Remini mercilessly over-salted the lasagne.

Leah doesn’t really like answering questions about Jennifer

Leah is happy to talk about her friend, but only if it’s about something truly important: their work, or social issues. But unfortunately, too often, the conversation turns into a discussion of rumors about Jennifer’s private life. Remini doesn’t think it’s appropriate to discuss such intimate details and thinks that news about possible romances or breakups should be reported by Lopez herself, not by the people close to her. This kind of thing genuinely annoys Leah.

Even gossip can’t tear the friends apart

Yet another barrage of questions about her friend’s personal life hit Leah after she posted photos from her birthday party. One of the pictures showed Lopez and Remini together with Ben Affleck, and rumors of the former lovers’ reunion immediately leaked to the press. This made Leah very angry and she said that it was out of her hands to confirm or deny such information.

When Leah didn’t show up to her friend’s wedding ceremony, many people were surprised. But it turned out that Remini simply couldn’t make it to the event because she wanted to spend time with her only daughter before the girl left for college. So it seems that the strong friendship between the two actresses can’t be affected by the twists and turns in their personal lives, nor by any scandals or rumors flying around.

What do you think? Can anything ruin a real friendship?