Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Lopez on Dec. 5, 2023.Photo:Robin L Marshall/WireImage; MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty
Robin L Marshall/WireImage; MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty
Fantasia Barrinois sharing her love forJennifer Lopez.
At theELLEWomen in Hollywood Awards in Los Angeles Tuesday, Barrino, 39, took the stage with herThe Color PurplecostarsTaraji P. HensonandDanielle Brooksand promptly shouted out Lopez, 54, during a pause in her own speech.
“I never thought I would be back here in front of y’all. And we all have imaginations when we’re down and we see ourselves up,” Barrino said, as she spoke to her years-long journey from playingThe Color Purple’s protagonist Celieon Broadwayand taking the character to theupcoming movie musical adaptation.
“When we feel like we can’t bounce back, we vision ourselves. J. Lo, good God almighty,” she added. “You look like a piece of art. I’m sorry.”
Jennifer Lopez on Dec. 5, 2023.Charley Gallay/Getty
Charley Gallay/Getty
Lopez notably stepped out at Tuesday night’s event with her husbandBen Affleck. She also accepted an award after she, Barrino, Henson and Brooks were honored inELLE’s 2023 Women in Hollywoodissue, along withNina Garcia,America Ferrera,Eva Longoria,Fantasia Barrino,Greta Lee,Jodie FosterandLily Gladstone.
Barrino’s starstruck moment actually marked the second time in recent weeks she has unexpectedly shouted out another actor during her own awards speech. When she spoke atVariety’s Power of Womenevent in November, she addressedLeonardo DiCaprioafter spotting him in the crowd.
Fantasia Barrino on Dec. 5, 2023.Kevin Winter/Getty
Kevin Winter/Getty
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As she accepted her award at that event, Barrino suddenlygrew visibly distractedand turned her head, saying, “So I want to thank you …oh my God, is that Leonardo DiCaprio?”
“Sorry! Keep this in the film. Hi, love you!” she said, drawing laughter from the audience as she pointed at DiCaprio, 49, who sat offscreen. “Sorry, I had to do it,” she added moments later. “[It’s the] same thing when I see Queen Oprah, I’m like, ‘Hey, Queen!’ "
Stefanie Keenan/Getty
TheOscarwinner later shouted out Barrino himself when he appeared on stage to introduce hisKillers of the Flower MooncostarLily Gladstone, opening with, “My new best friend Fantasia over there.”
AtELLE’s event on Tuesday, Barrino kept her speech short and sweet after shouting out Lopez as she continued to speak of her relationship with herColor Purplecharacter Celie, whom she first portrayed on Broadway in 2007.
“Because of Celie, I’m standing here and I want to speak to all of the Celies in the room tonight who didn’t think you could make it out of certain situations,” she said. “All of my Black women who felt like you were not pretty enough [or] you didn’t have what it takes.”
The Color Purpleis in theaters Dec. 25.
source: people.com
