Jennifer Lopez Makes First Public Appearance Following Facial Injury
Jennifer Lopez captivated audiences with a remarkable public appearance after disclosing that she sustained an injury while preparing to host the 2025 American Music Awards.
At 55, Lopez was spotted at a birthday celebration for John Kander in New York on Monday, May 19, dressed in a light pink gown. Later that same evening, she changed into a white outfit for the after party at Ring Them Bells: A Birthday Celebration for Kander.
This event followed a recent facial injury Lopez experienced. “So this happened,” she shared on Instagram Stories earlier this month, posting a picture of her swollen nose. “(During @amas rehearsals).”
Lopez confirmed she required stitches, expressing gratitude: “Thank you for stitching me up Dr. Diamond. A week later and a whole lotta ice, I’m good as new.”
Despite her health scare, Lopez is recovering and gearing up to host the awards show on May 26. She is now the fourth music artist in history to host the AMAs on two occasions, joining the ranks of Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, and Pitbull.
“We are excited to welcome Jennifer Lopez back to host the American Music Awards,” stated Dick Clark Productions CEO Jay Penske in an April announcement. “Jennifer’s extraordinary talent and unmatched stage presence make her the perfect host for the show. We are confident she will bring her unique energy to the official start of summer.”
Lopez previously hosted the show in 2015.
“This was quite a while ago, but the energy in the room was absolutely electric,” she reminisced during the awards show’s 50th anniversary special in October 2024. “Winning a fan-voted award is incredibly special because it comes directly from the people for whom you create music. It’s just a humbling experience.”
Before stepping back into the spotlight, Lopez garnered attention by finalizing her divorce from Ben Affleck. The pair wed in July 2022 after reviving their romance — they had been engaged from 2002 to 2004. Lopez filed for divorce two years later in August 2024.
“She was deeply in love with Ben, but sometimes love isn’t enough,” a source told Us Weekly regarding Lopez at that time. “Everything unfolded as it was meant to.”
Earlier this year, Affleck, 52, addressed the widely publicized breakup when asked by GQ about his involvement in Lopez’s 2024 documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told. The film accompanied her 2024 visual album, This Is Me … Now, featuring moments where Affleck talked about their relationship.
“There’s often a temptation to analyze breakups and search for root causes. But honestly … the reality is far more mundane than people might imagine or find intriguing,” he explained in March. “There’s no scandal, no soap opera, no drama [surrounding our divorce]. The truth is, when you ask someone, ‘Hey, what happened?’ Well, the answer isn’t as straightforward.”
Affleck concluded: “It’s just a narrative about individuals trying to navigate their lives and relationships, much like we all do.”
