Love don’t cost a thing, but making a movie does. Even though it would’ve been understandable if Jennifer Lopez wanted to stay out of the spotlight after her latest heartbreak, she put in work to promote her based-on-a-true-story sports drama Unstoppable at its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6. It was her first public appearance since she filed for divorce from Ben Affleck, who produced the film but did not attend the premiere. (He was photographed in Los Angeles earlier that day, with People reporting that he appeared to be on his way to work.) Several outlets declared that J.Lo’s sparkly, side-slit TIFF attire was a “revenge dress.†But regardless of what motives she might’ve had when sharing pics of her outfit on Instagram, Lopez made sure to mention Unstoppable in the captions of both posts.
She also posed on the red carpet for group photos, at one point standing just one Don Cheadle away from Affleck’s close friend and fellow Unstoppable producer Matt Damon. During part of a premiere conversation shared on social media by Peter Gray, she fielded questions about her character Judy, the mother of wrestler Anthony Robles — an NCAA champion who was born with one leg — and four other children. “When I read the script, I felt like so many women, including myself, could relate to the struggles she had gone through in life,†said Lopez, adding that the film is “a Latino story†and “so inspiring.†Judy was brought on stage during the event, and Lopez was filmed hugging her as the TIFF audience got to its feet and applauded after the screening. Who needs an ex when you’ve got a standing o?