Jennifer Lopez's Team SaidAmerican IdolWould Make Her 'Just a Reality Star.' Why She Trusted Her 'Gut' and Did It Anyway

Mar. 15, 2025

Jennifer Lopez in Hollywood in April 2015.Photo:Michael Becker/FOX/Getty

Michael Becker/FOX/Getty

Becoming a judge onAmerican Idolwas a risky move forJennifer Lopez— but her intuition drove her to do it.

In conversation withNikki GlaserforInterview Magazinereleased Wednesday, Oct. 9, Lopez opened up about her decision-making process behind joining the singing competition show as a judge.

She continued, “American Idolwas a big show at the time. It really comes down to, what do I think I can bring to something? When all of my advisors were like, ‘Don’t do this, you’re going to be reduced to just a reality star.'”

At the time, the idea was “looked down upon” — and her team warned her “nobody will ever hire you for a movie ever again.” Still, she didn’t budge.

“I was just like, ‘No. I don’t think that’s what’s going to happen. I think I have something to contribute,'” she wrote. “I love music and I love mentoring people, and I wanted to share the things that I knew about the business. So it became more about, ‘What do I think I can do with this?'”

Moving forward, the “On the Floor” singer has trusted her gut with every business decision — and it paid off.

Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. in Hollywood in February 2014.FOX Image Collection via Getty

FOX Image Collection via Getty

“When I’m choosing things, even if they seem like not the best idea to everybody else, if I feel it in my gut that it’s the right thing to do, nobody can talk me out of it. It’s the same thing when I went to Vegas,” Lopez said of her residency, whichkicked offin 2016. “They were like, ‘That’s where entertainers go to die.’ And I was like, ‘No.’ And it launched me into a whole new part of my life.”

Lopez joined theAmerican Idoljudges panel on season 10 and stayed for two back-to-back seasons. She then took a hiatus andreturned to the showfor three more seasons toshare her music knowledgewith the contestants.

In 2020,Lopez spoke to PEOPLEandEntertainment Weekly’s editorial director about her exit.

She had been under the spotlight for decades at that point and she felt that “people knew who I was, like they could feel my heart.” Joining the show made her realize “they really didn’t.”

“They saw, ‘Oh, she’s a person, she loves music, she’s super emotional, she cares,’ [and] it made me more human to them," she said at the time.

She added, “Being a part ofIdoland that being a part of my legacy, being on one of the greatest television shows ever, all of it feels like such a blessing.”

source: people.com