Highlights
- Jennifer Lopez and Leah Remini's friendship remains strong, despite rumors of a rough patch.
- The two have been close since they were introduced by Jennifer's ex-husband Marc Anthony in 2004.
- Leah respects Jennifer's privacy and finds questions about her personal life annoying, but their friendship is still goals.
The year 2022 was a great year for Jennifer Lopez. The star reconnected with her former fiancé Ben Affleck and the two lovebirds made it to the altar. The couple had some of their famous friends in attendance. However, one person who was absent from the event was Jennifer's longtime friend Leah Remini.
Fans were wondering whether the twosome were still friends given Leah's absence. Turns out they were and Leah was just spending time with her college-bound daughter.
The rumor mill has been busy, though, with some reports claiming that the pair have allegedly hit a rough patch. Jennifer and Leah have been friends for ages, supporting each other, and even worked together on the movie Second Act. In their beautiful friendship, Jennifer stood by Leah when she left the Church of Scientology in 2015. Jennifer has often featured on Leah's social media posts, and fans can't help but point out how much they love the friendship.
Updated September 2023: While Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's relationship continues to be the topic of gossip for the tabloids, what is not is the friendship between Lopez and Leah Remini. The two appear to still be solid since Lopez and Affleck married. There have been no stories of any bad blood between the two and it is likely their busy schedules that have prohibited the two friends from being photographed out having fun together in the months since Lopez and Affleck wed.
Leah Remini And Jennifer Lopez Were Introduced By Marc Anthony
Leah and Jennifer met in 2004 at the premiere of Man on Fire and hit it off. They were introduced by Jennifer's ex-husband Marc Anthony. The pair have been close ever since, with Leah considering Jennifer to be her best friend, and evidently, the feeling is mutual.
The banter and love displayed in the nuggets of what's shared publicly of the relationship is something to behold. They had an instant connection, and the rest is history.
In 2018, the duo dished on their friendship.
"I was friends with Marc Anthony, and then he started dating Jennifer, and he was doing the film, Man on Fire," Leah explained. I went to the movie's premiere and he said, 'You have to meet Jennifer!' And he was telling Jennifer, 'You have to meet Leah and Angelo,' my husband."
She added, "We went to the premiere hoping she was gonna be ugly in real life. And then, when I was approaching her, I was like, ‘I hope it’s the lighting. Maybe she just looks good in here.' And as I got closer I was like, 'Oh d***, there's a lot of light right here, and she looks really pretty."
Leah said. "I even said that! I said, 'Goddammit, why the f*** why are you so f***ing pretty?' And she laughed. [Then] I was like, 'Ugh, I hope she's dumb, ya know? I was like, 'She could be dumb!' I wanted to find something and I didn't."
Leah Remini Finds Questions About Jennifer's Personal Life Annoying
Leah loves and supports Jennifer, but asking her questions about her friend's private life annoys her. She respects Jennifer's privacy and has been in the industry long enough to understand how words can be misconstrued.
Also, she refuses to engage in conversations that lead to people digging for information about Jennifer's personal life. Now that's friendship goals!
Leah told Savannah Guthrie on a Today Show appearance, "Not because I don’t love talking about my friend, but I feel a lot of times it’s for gossip purposes. Especially if I am trying to talk about something that is important, like our podcast, or exposing the abuses that we’re talking about in Scientology and the victims of Scientology and somebody asks me about Jennifer’s wedding. I just find it utterly annoying."
Did Jennifer Lopez And Leah Remini Hit A Rough Patch?
Fans love getting a glimpse into their favorite stars' private life. When news of Bennifer's rekindled romance broke, fans and critics alike weighed in. When the two tied the knot and Leah was a no-show, there were speculations as to why that was.
Allegations of the besties' friendship being a turmoil were made, but neither party has addressed any of the rumors.
There have been rumors about the state of the BFFs' relationship now. Radar Online quoted a source as saying, "Leah was there for Jen when Ben broke her heart. Leah knows everything, all the ugly details about what went down between her best friend and Ben. No wonder she doesn’t like him. Jennifer might have been ready to move on and forgive Ben, but Leah hasn’t and is worried it will happen again."
However, according to TMZ, sources close to Leah revealed that she opted out of attending the wedding to spend time with her daughter before she headed off to college. It wasn't a snub, and neither are they at odds.
Leah wasn't the only one absent though. Ben's brother, Casey, his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, and Lopez's ex-husband Anthony didn't attend the wedding either.
If social media is anything to go by, then Leah and Jennifer's friendship is as solid as ever.