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Model Melanie Iglesias, the ex-girlfriend of The Boy Next Door star Ryan Guzman, claims that Jennifer Lopez, who featured in the film alongside Guzman, wanted him to pretend that he was single to promote the movie.
Iglesias’ claims come at a time when Lopez is facing a decrease in popularity, as she was forced to cancel multiple tour dates due to low ticket sales.
“She made my ex, oh my God, pretend that he was single to promote the movie,” Iglesias said on a recent episode of the No Chaser podcast. “The publicists, both of them, called me … so they were at afterparties together, like, holding hands and stuff to promote this.”
Lopez was then reportedly seen “cozying up” to Guzman at a Golden Globes afterparty.
Iglesias also recalled an instance in which Lopez, appearing on The Ellen Degeneres Show, downplayed the pair’s relationship and implied that they had broken up.
“I think he might? I’m not sure. I know he did.… I’m not in his business like that,” Lopez told Ellen, who has since gone off the air.
This certainly isn’t a new move out of the Hollywood playbook, as dating rumors between co-stars have been used to drum up interest in projects for decades. Most recently, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell used the tactic to help propel Anyone But You to over $200 million at the global box office.
The Boy Next Door ultimately did good business at the box office as it grossed $52 million on just a $4 million budget. It was lampooned by both critics and audiences, however, as it has a 12% critic score and 34% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Guzman’s movie career ultimately didn’t go very far following The Boy Next Door as he hasn’t appeared in a feature film since 2019. He has had a lead role on the Fox series 9-1-1 since its second season in 2018.