As rumors of trouble in the Bennifer household reach a fever pitch, Jennifer Lopez canceled her summer tour, the singer confirmed on May 31. “I am completely heartsick and devastated about letting you down,†she wrote in her newsletter, On the JLo. “Please know that I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t feel that it was absolutely necessary. I promise I will make it up to you and we will all be together again. I love you all so much. Until next time …†Representatives for Live Nation shared the reason for axing the This Is Me … Live | The Greatest Hits tour in their own statement, writing, “Jennifer is taking time off to be with her children, family and close friends.â€
If you’re a conspiracy-minded person, you would notice that the timing of the divorce rumors and the tour cancellation feels a little fishy. For one thing, we all knew the tour was disastrously undersold, forcing the singer to quietly slash dates and rename the tour in April. (The tour was originally called This Is Me … Now. Its new title emphasized a broader set list that aimed to juice sales.) So were the divorce rumors manufactured by a cadre of PR geniuses in a Burbank situation room to create a smoke screen for half-empty arenas and consent for an eventual tour cancellation? I mean, amid breakup speculation, of course J.Lo would want to abandon the tour to heal family wounds. Sources with direct knowledge of the situation tell TMZ the ticket-sale issue wasn’t a factor in the decision. Just last week, she blamed the tour for making it impossible for her to replace Katy Perry on American Idol … could she now be free to slide into the role without the tour weighing her down? Find out on the next episode of Jennifer Lopez Plays Four-Dimensional Chess.