Jennifer Lopez<\/strong><\/a> knows the internet has been laughing with \u2014 and sometimes at \u2014 her for 15 years.<\/p>\n At the Los Angeles<\/a> premiere of her new Netflix<\/a> film Office Romance<\/a>, the 56-year-old singer and actress was asked about her now-famous \u201cMi gente Latino\u201d comment, a grammatically incorrect phrase she shouted while accepting Female Latin Artist at the 2011 American Music Awards<\/a>.<\/p>\n She laughed about the phrase that became an internet meme.MEGA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The phrase should have been \u201cMi gente Latina,\u201d but the slip has lived on for years through TikTok<\/a> clips, memes and fan jokes.<\/p>\n \u201cYou guys have never let me forget it,\u201d Lopez told a Mit\u00fa reporter<\/a> who presented her with a candle featuring a screenshot of the moment. \u201cDo you love me, or are you making fun of me?\u201d<\/p>\n The singer embraced the joke during a red carpet interview.MEGA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n After the reporter assured Lopez the moment is now considered iconic, she leaned into it.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, I know I love you guys. I know that for sure,\u201d Lopez said. She explained that she had been emotional during the 2011 speech and was trying to thank the audience that mattered most to her.<\/p>\n \u201cI was like, here’s the most important\u2026 Here’s who I have to thank more than anybody,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd then I got, like, oh s—, I said it wrong. OK, no problem.\u201d<\/p>\n She also laughed when told the moment was nearing an anniversary.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn’t know we were counting,\u201d Lopez said. \u201cOK, great. And it has an anniversary\u2026 It’s iconic.\u201d<\/p>\n Fans continue celebrating the iconic viral moment.MEGA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cOne of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming a celebrity\u2019s response should be based on the moment itself,\u201d said rand and communications consultantSam Gauchier<\/strong><\/a>. \u201cIn reality, it should be based on how the audience is experiencing that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Gauchier said Lopez recognized that fans were not looking for an apology.<\/p>\n \u201cThey were inviting her into a joke that had taken on a life of its own. By acknowledging it, she\u2019s showing self-awareness rather than trying to regain control of a narrative that was never really hers to control in the first place,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Aaron Evans<\/strong>, president of strategic communications firm Story Group<\/a>, said Lopez has shown a strong instinct for when to respond and when to stay quiet.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is what many teams get wrong \u2014 they think the decision is whether to respond. It\u2019s not. The decision is whether the celebrity has something better to say than the internet does,\u201d Evans said. \u201cJ.Lo is one of the only ones right now who actually knows the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n Jennifer Lopez reflected on the emotional speech behind the slip.MEGA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cJ.Lo has been navigating public opinion for 30 years. She understands something that younger celebrities are still learning: the audience does not want perfection. They want personality,\u201d said Amore Philip<\/strong><\/a>, founder of Apples and Oranges Public Relations<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you respond to a viral moment with genuine wit and zero defensiveness, you do not just survive the story,\u201d she added. \u201cYou become the story. And on your own terms.\u201d<\/p>\n Office Romance<\/a> hits Netflix on June 5.<\/p>\n Read more at OK!<\/a><\/p>\n Get OK!’s biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now<\/a>.<\/p>\n FOLLOW OK! ON WHATSAPP HERE<\/a>: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, entertainment, and pop culture via our WhatsApp channel<\/a>. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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J.Lo Lets the Joke Breathe<\/h2>\n
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Why the Response Worked<\/h2>\n
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From Meme to Personality Moment<\/h2>\n
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