Jennifer Lopez is getting real about experiencing sexual harassment in Hollywood.
When asked about the Time's Up movement in an interview with Harper's Bazaar, the multi-hyphenate performer opened up about an incident early in her acting career.
“I haven’t been abused in the way some women have," Lopez says. "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, 48, says she recalls fear about speaking up about the director's request.
“When I did speak up, I was terrified," she says. "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 wasn’t right," Lopez says. "It could have gone either way for me. But I think ultimately the Bronx in me was like, ‘Nah, we’re not having it.’”
Lopez has been a vocal part of the Time's Up movement, speaking out about sexual misconduct ahead of the 2017 Golden Globes during a speech in Puerto Rico, where she was contributing to relief efforts after hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the island.
"A lot of the women with #TimesUp are standing up for equality, to be treated equally and for sexual harassment," Lopez says in a video posted to her Instagram. "I stand here today in black doing the same from far away. And it's the same thing here in Puerto Rico: We want to be treated equally."
