Jennifer Lopez is leaning hard into a more sexually provocative public image following her split from Ben Affleck, according to her former publicist, who says the superstar knows exactly how powerful her appearance is to the JLo brand.
Rob Shuter, who represented Lopez during the original Bennifer breakup in 2004, pointed to a string of revealing outfits and heavily photographed appearances that have kept the 57-year-old singer’s body firmly in the spotlight.
Most recently, Lopez was photographed heading to a workout in Santa Monica wearing a tiny sports bra that showed off her cleavage.
Shuter suggested the attention surrounding those images was hardly accidental, arguing that Lopez has spent decades mastering the machinery of celebrity publicity.
“Jennifer understands the celebrity machine better than almost anyone,” a Hollywood manager once told Shuter, adding that her body has long been one of the strongest assets associated with the JLo brand.
The sexually charged presentation has extended far beyond workout photos.
During a recent trip through Italy with her 18-year-old twins, Max and Oskar, Lopez shared images of herself wearing a tight corset-style dress, posing in a revealing rooftop selfie and riding a gondola in a plunging gown.
“Road tripping with my coconuts before they head off to college,” Lopez captioned the trip.
Shuter joked that after decades of Lopez making cleavage part of her public persona, even he briefly wondered what she meant by “coconuts.”
But behind the provocative clothing and carefully presented photographs, he argued, is something more calculated than simple attention-seeking.
Shuter believes Lopez is using sex appeal to reclaim control of her public narrative after years in which her relationship with Affleck dominated headlines.
“For years, the biggest JLo story was Bennifer,” he wrote.
A friend of Lopez told Shuter that after the relationship ended, she wanted the public story to shift back toward JLo — “sexy, successful, independent and completely in control.”
That image has increasingly involved Lopez presenting herself as confident, physically fit and unapologetically sensual despite entering her late 50s.
Shuter argued that her body is serving as a message: she is not hiding after another highly public breakup and has no intention of fading quietly from the celebrity spotlight.
The provocative image push is also unfolding alongside a lucrative new phase of her career.
Lopez has reportedly signed a $20 million deal to become the new face of Dolce & Gabbana and is preparing for another international tour next year.
She also has two new film projects in development, including one tied to her recent Las Vegas residency and the crime thriller “The Last Mrs. Parrish.”
Shuter said Lopez appears determined to prove that both her career and sex appeal remain commercially powerful.
Still, he raised concerns that the relentless push may also reveal how Lopez responds when other areas of her life feel less controllable.
An insider close to Lopez told him that she works when she is happy but becomes even more consumed by work when she is unhappy.
“Work is where she feels safe because work is something she can control,” the source said.
Shuter argued that divorce, aging and watching children leave for college are impossible to control, while photo shoots, revealing fashion choices, movie promotions and tours can be carefully managed, per the Daily Mail.
That, he suggested, is what makes Lopez’s increasingly provocative public appearances significant.
Rather than simply showing skin, Lopez appears to be using sexuality and fashion to project power, independence and control over how the world sees her following the collapse of Bennifer.
Shuter ultimately argued that Lopez has little left to prove after decades as one of Hollywood’s most recognizable celebrities.
