Jennifer Lopez‘s Spanish-speaking abilities have once again become a topic of discussion as the actress promotes her upcoming Prime Video movie “Unstoppable.”
During a new interview with journalist Javi Ponzo, Lopez was confronted with a memorable linguistic slip-up that has haunted her for over a decade.
The moment stems from the 2011 American Music Awards, where Lopez won Favorite Latin Artist over Hispanic superstars Madrid-born Enrique Iglesias and Cuban-American Pitbull.
“I don’t know what to say,” she said at the time, before lifting the award and declaring, “MI GENTE LATINO,” a phrase that would become a viral sensation – though not for the reasons she initially thought.
The moment was made even more memorable by the camera catching Taylor Swift turning to Selena Gomez and asking, “She speaks Spanish?” making Selena absolutely crack up.
The viral moment has taken on a life of its own, surfacing countless times across social media.
Grammy-winning artist Kali Uchis even gave the meme a nod during her acceptance speech at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards, further cementing its cultural impact.
When Ponzo asked, “Can we end this interview by saying the iconic mi gente latino?”
Lopez appeared confused about why it had garnered such attention.
“OK, can you explain to me why that’s funny?” she asked, revealing she had assumed people were mocking her.
When he explained, Lopez laughed, “I thought they were making fun of me!”
Ponzo quickly protested, saying “No, no, it’s not funny, but you said it during an award show, and everyone loves you for it.” He then offered a brief Spanish grammar lesson, explaining, “It’s mi gente latina (feminine), but you said mi gente latino (masculine).”
The revelation prompted an immediate reaction from Lopez, “Right! That’s why it’s funny!” she exclaimed.
Addressing the camera directly, she acknowledged the error while explaining the circumstances: “We know it’s ‘mi gente Latina.’ In the emotion of the moment, I said ‘mi gente Latino.'” She added resignedly, “I said it wrong on an award show once, and they never let me forget it.”
When the interview went viral, fans responded with one saying, “She needs to know we aren’t laughing with her.”
Someone else tweeted their very different take, writing, “In reality, she is also laughing at herself, so they are laughing with her. I love that she makes fun of the haters.”
In reality, she is also laughing at herself, so they are laughing with her. I love that she makes fun of the haters
— Billiar (@Billiar448194) January 7, 2025
This latest discussion of Lopez’s Spanish skills comes on the heels of another revealing moment during a Q&A session for “Atlas.”
Alongside co-stars Simu Liu and Sterling K. Brown, Lopez found herself in an unexpected situation when both actors demonstrated that they could speak the language of her ancestors better than her during an interview with Univision reporter Daniela Ganoza, leaving her feeling overshadowed.
Liu shocked everyone by answering a question fluently in Spanish. Brown then joined in, also showing off his Spanish-speaking skills.
Lopez responded with self-deprecating humor, “They speak better Spanish than I do, I’m always being shamed for my Spanish.”
To make the moment worse, she played herself when she struggled to remember the Spanish word for “depict,” during her interview. Fortunately, Brown was there to help her out with the answer.
The irony of Lopez’s Spanish language difficulties is heightened by the fact that her recently divorced husband, Ben Affleck, is fluent in the language.
In 2020, Affleck revealed on “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” a bit of trivia from his past that eventually showed his ex up.
“I did a little kids TV series when I was young, and when I was 13, that season, that year was in Mexico,” he said. “And so I was in Mexico for a year, and that’s how I picked it up.”
In 2023, before their widely publicized breakup, Jennifer Lopez spoke highly of Ben Affleck’s Spanish skills, telling Access Hollywood, “Yeah, really great Spanish. He spent time in Mexico when he was a kid, and so, he loves the culture, and he loves the people, and he loves speaking Spanish.”
Though she can no longer rely on him for linguistic support, Lopez has managed to find humor in the ongoing spotlight on her own Spanish.
During an interview with Ponzo, she initially hesitated to repeat an incorrect phrase but eventually relented to please him, turning the viral moment into a playful part of her legacy.
“Unstoppable” is set to release on Jan. 16.
