Jennifer Lopez has climbed to the top of Forbes Celebrity 100 List, pushing international superstar Lady Gaga and media mogul Oprah Winfrey further down the list.
In one year, the American Idol judge went from being number 50 on the list to outranking 99 other noteworthy celebrities—that’s impressive!
So, just how did the 42-year-old make such a remarkable leap in one year while separating (now divorcing) from ex Marc Anthony in midst of it all?
Apparently entering the fray that is American Idol; the reality show catapulted the singer-performer-actress’ lackluster image. She went from disappointing box office numbers (“Jersey Girl”, “Gigli”) and sappy CD sales (“Como Ama una Mujer”, “Brave”) to a revitalized movie career, being the face of many endorsements, new product lines, and an upcoming international music tour.
The “Dance Again” singer was able to get her fan base to love her all over again. A memory lapse of why they fell in love with the Latin beauty was overturned when they were able to tune in each week and see the sex symbol work her magic (and hot body), not to mention, to perform and push her own agendas.
After joining the American Idol panel, Lopez received over 23,000 press mentions and covered 46 major magazine covers in one year—who is doing it like that? Wow!
Lady Gaga comes in at number 5 on the list as Oprah makes the number two spot even with trouble at OWN and Justin Bieber and Rihanna lands third and fourth spots respectively.