Jennifer Lopez backstage at the Oscars with manager Benny Medina. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Jennifer Lopez’s manager, Benny Medina, says that the singer and actress has a habit of letting “obsessive guys pursue her” and was on “fertile ground” to be swept off her feet following her split from husband Marc Anthony.
Medina, the manager who has handled the careers of Tyra Banks and Sean “Diddy” Combs in addition to Lopez’s, talks to Vogue magazine about Jenny From the Block’s new romance with backup dancer Casper Smart. At 24-years-old, Smart is 18 years younger than Lopez.
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According to the Daily Mail, Medina tells the magazine, “She’s not oblivious to her own reality right now, as in, ‘Damn, I’m 42 with a 24-year-old. Why?’ We talked about it yesterday. She was just like, ‘It’s not even the age, Benny. It’s that I just came out of a relationship where I felt like I was kind of not getting what I needed. And I’m open! So somebody who steps in right now and is actually touching me in a way.’ It’s very fertile ground.”
Medina also spoke candidly about why Lopez has cycled through so many long-term romances during her time in the spotlight. In addition to Anthony, Lopez also was married to chef Ojani Noa and back-up dancer Cris Judd. She also had a high-profile romance with Combs, and was famously engaged to Ben Affleck.
“The thing that I always sort of wished is that she would give herself time to just naturally meet someone, instead of having obsessive guys pursue her,” says Medina. “The ease with which that obsession becomes a relationship I think sometimes works against her ability to have a real meaningful relationship. And she never half does anything. When she commits to anything in her work, her life, or her relationships, she is in it.”
Lopez, who recently stunned at the Oscars in two deep V-neck dresses, was in Mexico this week, filming her new music video for the song “Follow the Leader.” In between takes, she was spotted sneaking in kisses with Smart.
While Lopez has yet to comment on the age difference between herself and her new boyfriend, Smart has revealed his thoughts on the subject via Twitter.
“Age, status, and opinions of others are irrelevant. Our hearts are endless and our souls infinite,” Smart wrote on the micro-blogging site in January. “Our ages are mere reminders of the hours logged on this earth and the precious time remaining. We should all honor our time here by indulging our passion and dreams. So, close your ears and open your hearts; Love and be happy!”
Lopez’s ex Anthony is also currently dating a 24-year-old, Venezuelan model Shannon De Lima.