‘I Was Terrified.’ Jennifer Lopez Opens Up About Her #MeToo Moment

Jennifer Lopez is weighing in on the #MeToo movement, speaking out about the time that a director asked her to take off her shirt while she was starting her career.

In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the actress and singer shared that while she feels she hasn’t experienced sexual misconduct to the extent that others have in the industry, it was still difficult for her to speak up about an inappropriate situation.

“I haven’t been abused in the way some women have,” she said. “But have I been told by a director to take off my shirt and show my boobs? Yes, I have. But did I do it? No, I did not.”

Lopez said that she was scared to speak up when it happened because of the impact it could have on her career, but she ultimately knew that his behavior was not right.

“When I did speak up, I was terrified,” she said. “I remember my heart beating out of my chest, thinking, ‘What did I do? This man is hiring me!’ It was one of my first movies. But in my mind I knew the behavior was wrong. It could have gone either way for me. But I think ultimately the Bronx in me was like, ‘Nah, we’re not having it.'”