Jennifer Lopez is facing some harsh backlash after posting selfies wearing a shirt that reads “Bronx Girl Magic.”
The “Waiting For Tonight” singer shared the photos of herself on multiple social media platforms, adding the hashtag #BronxGirlMagic to the Twitter post.
🤍💕✨ #BronxGirlMagic ✨💕🤍 pic.twitter.com/Ydfgk328CJ
— jlo (@JLo) January 30, 2020
It caught the attention of people who accused Lopez of appropriating black culture by riffing off a popular hashtag used expressly to celebrate blackness.
#BlackGirlMagic has often been used to celebrate the “beauty, power and resilience of black women” since it was first started by CaShawn Thompson back in 2013, according to HuffPost. It’s not a niche thing–if you spend a fair amount of time on the internet, you’ve probably seen it.
A lot of folks are not pleased that something that was intended so specifically for black culture is possibly being repurposed for other communities.
“can black girls have anything. anything at all,” @wrightmywayout tweeted.
https://twitter.com/mjanlews/status/1222821694865313792
“#BronxGirlMagic looking kinda familiar,” @YZoomii pointed out.
https://twitter.com/YZoomii/status/1222737206147735554
Always stealing from black girls. Nothing new. Nothing innovative.
— Jolene. (@AmandaDannielle) January 30, 2020
https://twitter.com/EssentialYonce2/status/1222775014707146752
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
— Niiquee (@NiqueBlee_13) January 31, 2020
https://twitter.com/BreyonLeKeith/status/1222746297477816320
And some immediately drew a connection between J.Lo and Gina Rodriguez, who has been called out for being anti-black on several different occasions.
“Gina Rodriguez is that you?” Twitter user @KikiWithJanine asked.
Now you know J Lo was Gina Rodriguez waaaayyy before Gina even knew niggas gave her the heebie jeebies!
— Krio Banjee Bitch (@emelleionaire) January 30, 2020
https://twitter.com/kalialune/status/1222881305286889472
https://twitter.com/KJayS/status/1222871419127828480
And it had an added layer of frustration for some, knowing that Lopez is about to perform at the Super Bowl’s halftime show alongside Shakira, and this is how she chooses to use that platform.
“they should just [let] Shakira perform alone,” Twitter user @isege wrote.
https://twitter.com/isege/status/1222887434318274562
Now Jennifer……😐
— Will👁️🅰️Ⓜ️ (@atb__william) January 30, 2020
Y would u play yo’self before ur SuperBowl performance???😐 pic.twitter.com/tQqHwhsuWe
But some Twitter users did jump to J.Lo’s defense, pointing out that the singer didn’t originate the Bronx-ified version of the phrase.
“First of all #bronxgirlmagic was a thing WAY before J.Lo posted this pic,” wrote @joshb3600. “I won’t tell y’all how to feel about this but y’all love to stay mad for unnecessary shit sometimes.”
https://twitter.com/melanated2020/status/1223277128738697216
y’all get mad over everything.. it’s only a hashtag 🤣🤣🤣 don’t delete this picture jennifer! @JLo #BronxGirlMagic https://t.co/YE4mABVwEm
— Sid (@SmileyNthahood) January 31, 2020
#BronxGirlMagic am i the only one that doesn’t see a problem? u don’t have to come at JLO thaaat hard lol. y’all stay trying to find something to be mad over. here we go 🙄 just let her rep where she’s from, like, it’s really not serious
— Mik (@mikaylajaay) January 30, 2020
https://twitter.com/ReacShion/status/1222889085007613953
Lopez has yet to comment on the controversy, but if her response to accusations of anti-blackness might bear any similarities to those of Rodriguez–maybe it’s best she leave it at #BronxGirlSilence instead.
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