Here are some photos of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck out for lunch on Sunday. It’s a perfect easter Sunday outfit. In other JLo news…
Last week, she announced her latest business venture, Delola, a line of low-calorie alcoholic spritzes.
The ready-to-drink spritzes, she says, were inspired by her personal life. First, the name, which translates to “from Lola”. Lola is the nickname given to her by her inner circle to represent her “carefree, fun side.” Second, her preference for something light and healthy – with her famed reputation as a non-drinker – or at least, one that doesn’t overindulge. And lastly, her and Ben Affleck’s zodiac signs.
"I'm a Leo. On the actual bottle, I put two lions. Ben and I are both Leos — like a male and a female lion," she told PEOPLE. "It's very personalized, really authentic to me and what I love."
While the drinks sound lovely and the aesthetic – beautifully captured during a campaign photoshoot in Italy, of course – is giving everything it needs to, fans have concerns. Lots. And for good reason.
People flooded the comment section speculating on her reputation as a non-drinker, but they also pointed out Ben’s sobriety as a conflict of interest.
“Super disappointed and confused about you promoting something that you have openly shared you do not partake in because of the health effects of alcohol. Also, you are married to a man that struggles with alcohol addiction and yet….☹️” one comment read, with thousands of others echoing similar sentiments.
It’s not that Jen is responsible for his sobriety. He’s said it before many times, too. He is the only person responsible for himself. It's been a lifelong ordeal for him, which he’s been incredibly open and honest about. From his father being an alcoholic for years before finally getting sober, to his parents' divorce really taking a toll on him, and the profound disappointment over his own divorce from Jennifer Garner triggering him to relapse, landing him in rehab a few times after their split, he’s struggled for decades.
Perhaps that’s why fans are having a hard time connecting the dots and are suggesting she should’ve launched a non-alcoholic line of drinks instead.
“This feels like such a weird move for $$, I was hoping it was an elegant NA cocktail when I first saw this post…,” another comment read.
There are some celebrities who party hard for a few years and grow out of it – kind of like Katy Perry says she did in the press interviews ahead of the launch of her non-alcoholic line, De Soi. The heavy drinking was a phase she went through. But does it make sense to launch a line of alcohol products if you’re admittedly not much of a drinker?
One look at the comment section will tell you she’s already not a believable ambassador or spokesperson for any alcohol, let alone the creator of a line of spritzes based on her drinking habits, or lack thereof. And it breathes life into concerns that this is just a money grab.
She’s got businesses, that’s for sure. But her other ventures make sense. Perfumes, beauty products and a lifestyle brand all make sense. But starting an alcohol line when you’ve been outspoken about staying away from it and doing so with a husband in recovery just doesn’t add up.
This is where the waters muddy when celebrities pivot into entrepreneurship. With the resources they have, it’s fairly easy to assemble a team and toss money behind something. But when they take it a step further and become the face of it, they can amass great, profit-churning success out of it. However, as people become so much more mindful about where they put their dollars, and the pressure on celebrities to stop hoarding wealth and being ‘climate criminals’ is at an all-time high, ethics matter, and so does aligning with your brand, something a lot of commenters say she isn’t doing.
“This feels so off-brand for you, genuinely curious why you’re selling alcohol,” another user wrote on JLo’s Instagram.
Even if her husband was not in recovery, it doesn’t appear that many consumers and fans are sold on the idea that Delola was birthed out of her love and passion for tequila, or any of the other spirits featured in her spritzes. It’s doesn’t feel genuine. Or organic. Or sincere.
