Jennifer Lopez has a strong message for anyone criticizing her new cocktail brand, Delola.
The singer – who is known for her healthy lifestyle and ageless looks – assured fans via Instagram Tuesday that despite the perception that she is alcohol-free, she actually enjoys a cocktail from time to time.
“You know what, I know that a lot of people have been talking about, ‘Oh, she doesn’t even drink, what’s she doing with a cocktail out?’ And to tell you the truth, for a long time I didn’t drink,” Lopez, 53, said in the video.
“Years back, as you will see from several photos of me out, over the past 10, maybe 15 years, I have been, you know, having the occasional cocktail,” she continued.
“I do enjoy the occasional cocktail. I do drink responsibly, I don’t drink to get s–tfaced. I drink to be social and to have a nice time and just relax and let loose a bit, but always responsibly.”
The “Hustlers” actress went on to share that she has struggled to find a drink that she can really enjoy that aligns with her strict regimen, which inspired her to create Delola.
“I have to tell you, I’ve tried a lot of different things, cocktails. I was into White Russians at one point, I was into rosé, but I never found anything that I really loved, like, ‘OK, that’s what I love, this is what I like to drink when I have a drink,’” she explained.
“And so like anything else in my life, I made it myself. I created Delola and Delola is really about a healthier way, something that fit my lifestyle to drink the way that I would drink, the way Jennifer drinks,” she shared, noting that it has “lower calories,” “natural flavors” and is gluten-free.
“Beautiful spritzers that I came up with, ready to be poured over ice, super easy, something that fits my lifestyle, not something that is gonna have to be belabored and I have to work on to get the right flavor and so that’s what I created.”
When J.Lo first announced the cocktail brand back in April, she was met with a large negative response from many fans who called it a “money grab.”
Others questioned why she would start an alcohol brand when her husband, Ben Affleck, struggled with alcohol abuse and went to rehab several times for his addiction.
One user even made sure to call out Lopez for this on the promotional video in April.
“For argument sake, sure it’s business and it’s about money, but it just seems fake AF to be promoting alcohol under the guise of ‘living a little’ when she talks about how bad alcohol is for her skin and is not part of her lifestyle (not to mention Ben’s past issues). But hey, we’ll all flip for a dollar right?”
Lopez revealed that this project has been in the works for two years. She founded the brand with drink industry veterans Ken Austin and Jenna Fagnan and her manager, Benny Medina.
