Global superstar Jennifer Lopez made a triumphant and hilariously honest return to the Las Vegas stage, launching her new 'Up All Night' residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The opening night on Tuesday, December 30, was marked by laughter, self-reflection, and a cheeky acknowledgment of her recent split from actor Ben Affleck, setting a tone of optimism and growth for her latest chapter.
A Night of Laughter and Light-Hearted Confessions
Addressing a packed audience, Lopez reflected on the nearly decade-long gap since her last Vegas residency at Planet Hollywood. "It's such a huge honour to be asked back," she told her fans. "Do you know that it's been 10 years, almost 10 years to the day, since my last residency here? That went by in a blink, didn't it?" Then, with perfect comedic timing, she delivered the punchline that had the crowd in stitches: "And in that time, I've only been married twice."
After the laughter subsided, she playfully corrected herself. "That's not true. It was only once. It felt like twice." The audience erupted again as she leaned into the joke, adding, "I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. It's over and we just… it's fine," capping the moment with a theatrical kick synced with a cymbal crash from her drummer.
Navigating Life Post-Divorce with Grace and Maturity
The quip was widely seen as a reference to her divorce from Ben Affleck. The couple, who first dated from 2002-2004, famously rekindled their romance nearly two decades later, eloping in July 2022 and hosting a larger wedding celebration shortly after. Lopez filed for divorce in August 2024. Despite the split, her message was one of forward momentum.
"The good news is that I'm learning and I'm growing and we're in our happy era," she declared to the audience. "I'm in my happy era." This sentiment echoes her previous comments in a September interview on CBS News Sunday Morning, where she called the wisdom gained from the experience "the best thing that ever happened to me" because it facilitated necessary personal growth.
This maturity is evident in her amicable relationship with Affleck post-divorce. The former couple have been seen together publicly on multiple occasions, including at the October premiere of Lopez's film 'Kiss of the Spider Woman', which Affleck produced. They were also spotted shopping in Los Angeles with Affleck's 13-year-old son Samuel just days before Christmas, indicating a friendly co-parenting dynamic.
A Deeper Message of Resilience and 'Keep Dancing'
Beyond the humour, Lopez shared a profoundly personal story about resilience, stemming from her earlier split from ex-husband Marc Anthony. "I do love to dance," she said. "And if you take anything away from this show tonight, I hope it's this. It was after my third divorce that I really started getting good at it."
She recalled being a newly single mother to her then-young twins, Max and Emme, and seeking guidance from the late author Louise Hay. "She asked me, 'Jennifer, you're a dancer, right?'" Lopez narrated. "'When you get the steps wrong, what do you do?' And I said, 'I just keep going until I get them right.'"
That advice to always keep dancing became her mantra. Lopez concluded this heartfelt segment with a wish for her audience: "And I wish the same for you. No matter what life throws at you, that you dance and you dance and you dance again and again." With her new residency, Jennifer Lopez is not just performing; she's embodying that very philosophy of perseverance and joy.
