Well, sometimes you just can’t win ’em all!
Jennifer Lopez‘s stripper heist drama, Hustlers, has enjoyed quite a successful opening weekend — earning high praise from fans, legit Oscars buzz, and an estimated $33.2 million dollars at the box office. Nice!
But while critics are still raving about the star-studded ensemble, one of the movie’s biggest real-life inspirations apparently didn’t find it all that impressive!
Related: J.Lo ‘At The Top Of The NFL’s List’ To Headline Super Bowl Halftime Show!
[WARNING: Potential Spoilers Ahead]
As we’ve reported, the Lorene Scafaria-directed film follows a group of savvy New York City strippers who band together to outsmart their wealthy, Wall Street clients for cash. The original, true story was detailed in a 2015 New York Magazine article titled The Hustlers at Scores.
The on-screen adaptation was brought to life by J.Lo, Constance Wu, KeKe Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Julia Stiles, Lizzo, and (actual former stripper) Cardi B.
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Samantha Barbash — the inspiration behind Lopez’s character Ramona — shared her unfiltered thoughts on the movie. She explained:
“Everyone has been asking, ‘Did I see the movie?’ So I thought, Why don’t I just see the movie — because I knew I was going to have a lot of interviews about it this week.”
Barbash, who reportedly did not agree to participate in the production of the film, said she saw Hustlers alongside family members and friends on Saturday night in Manhattan.
Okay, enough beating around the bush!
In regards to Lopez’s portrayal of herself, the former stripper admitted:
“I wasn’t really that impressed. I was impressed with Jennifer. She was incredible. Her body looked incredible. She had it down to a T, but it wasn’t factual.”
Referencing Ramona’s appearance, she continued:
“She had my birthmark that I have. I used to have a piercing on the top of my lip. She had it on the bottom. She had a tattoo on her finger. I had it on my wrist.”
Okay. So, a few small physical attributes were changed. The movie was inspired by true events, but it doesn’t mean production can recreate every single little detail. There is a budget, you know!
However, Samantha noted Ramona’s mannerisms were not similar to her own, explaining, “I am nothing like that in person.”
She also said the film’s emphasis on the friendship between ring leaders Destiny (based on Roselyn “Rosie” Keo and played by Wu) and Ramona did not match her actual experience.
“She wasn’t a friend—she was a coworker… There was no sisterhood — it was business and that’s it.”
Inneresting!
Despite her initial criticisms, she noted the best part of it all was Cardi’s performance:
“I love Cardi. Her 10 minutes was a great 10 minutes… It’s funny because, when I first heard that the film was coming out, [my business partner] said [she wished] Cardi would have played me. Even though she is not an actress, she was in the strip club world and she gets it. She would have maybe played a better me. Not taking away from Jennifer. But just because Cardi was in the business.”
Hmm. We can definitely understand her perspective here. But, Barbash told the publication she still has love for Jenny from the Block:
“There is no hatred. I am still a J. Lo fan. I’m a Bronx native, how could I not be?”
In case you’re curious to check out her firsthand account of her wild past, you can read Samantha’s new book called Underscore, which is set to hit shelves later this month.
Thoughts on all this, Perezcious readers? Have U checked out the movie yet?
[Image via Hustlers/YouTube]
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