Jennifer Lopez says she's in her 'happy era' as she launches Vegas residency

Jennifer Lopezis taking audiences through the story of her life and the lessons she's learned along the way in her new Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace.

The two-hour high-energy show blends Lopez's biggest pop hits with theatrical elements inspired by Old Hollywood, Broadway and classic Vegas spectacles.

Structured in four acts, the production celebrates the singer, actor and entrepreneur's decadeslong career, while also reflecting on her personal journey.

"I feel like my shows are always an athletic event," Lopez told ABC News' Juju Chang in an interview that aired Wednesday on "Good Morning America."

The residency marks a new chapter for the 56-year-old superstar, who says she's embracing what she calls her "happy era."

"I'm in my happy era," Lopez said. "I think for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm free. I am on my own. And it feels really good."

She continued, "I didn't really know what that felt like since I was in my early 20s. And even before that, you know, I've always had a boyfriend. There was always kind of, like, someone in my life and so many other things that I felt like were out of my control, and I just am at a point in my life ... where I really trust myself and have learned to kind of -- I guess this sounds funny -- appreciate myself a little bit more instead of being so hard on myself all the time and always trying to prove so many things."

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For her Las Vegas residency, Lopez performs reimagined versions of her songs backed by a full orchestra, something she says she had always wanted to do.

"I wanted to have an orchestra onstage for this show, which I've never done," she said. "And all of the songs are reimagined in that way."

The show pays tribute to the city that has long served as a home to many superstar residencies, while also incorporating elements of Broadway, Lopez's first love as a performer.

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"It's a celebration," Lopez said of the show. "That life is so precious. And, you know, even my kids going off to college now, it goes so quickly, and it's like ... you have to cherish and live every single moment."

Jennifer Lopez talks bringing her kids on tour this summer, her new film 'Atlas'

The residency comes after a difficult personal period for Lopez, following the highly publicized breakup ofher marriage to Ben Affleckin 2024.

She said that moment forced her to slow down and focus on herself and her family.

"I had stop everything. And I took a year off. I canceled tours. I decided to just be home and sit in what had happened without running away from it. Through work, through another person, through anything. Just sit," Lopez said.

"I needed to be home with my kids, and that was the priority at that time," she continued. "But I really needed to... I was just at a point where I was like, 'What is going on with you?' Because I couldn't blame anybody else. Because I don't think that that's where the lesson is. And so, I really wanted to figure myself out."

That process, she said, helped her learn something she once feared -- being comfortable on her own.

Asked if she is currently dating anyone, Lopez replied, "No. No, I'm not. God forbid. I don't want to ruin anything. It's so nice right now. I'm so happy. It's the best. I just feel really good right now."

After decades in the spotlight, Lopez says she feels stronger than ever.

"I am a mom of graduates this year who are going to college. I am a showgirl and an entertainer and an actor and an entrepreneur," she said. "I am happy, and I am healthy, and I'm grateful. That's who I am today. And I'm surrounded by love, which is the best part."

Ultimately, Lopez said she hopes audiences leave the show with a simple lesson.

"It's definitely 'Get up no matter what happens and dance again,'" she said. "Because you will ... life kind of will throw things at you, but dance. Keep dancing, keep finding the joy in every moment, in every day. Because it's there."

byCosmopolite

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March 11, 2026

Jennifer Lopez says she's in her 'happy era' as she launches Vegas residency

Jennifer Lopezis taking audiences through the story of her life and the lessons she's learned along the way in her n...

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Kelly Clarkson says she never got car prize for winning “American Idol”: ‘I was like, what the f---'

Kelly Clarksonrevealed that she was "lied" to about herAmerican Idolprize.

The "Since U Been Gone" singer shared her story while relating to recentThe TraitorswinnerRob Rausch, who has yet to receive his impressive $220,800 prize pot. Clarkson, who won the first season ofAmerican Idol, said she could "relate to this so hardcore" because she didn't receive $1 million, nor did she get the car prize.

"They were like, 'Oh you win a million dollars or whatever, da da da,'" she said on arecent episodeofThe Kelly Clarkson Show. "No, you didn't. They lied. You did not, no. It was like a million dollars worth of investment in you. ... And then they said you get a car. And I needed it, 'cause my car is bashed in and I couldn't afford the deductible."

While the pop star did not get a car she was promised, the investment in her career paid off. After winningAmerican Idolin 2002, Clarkson went on to score a dozen top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, which landed her on the publication's list oftop female artistsof the 21st century.

Still, Clarkson was annoyed about not receiving her reality TV prizes after learning thatAmerican Idolseason 2 runner-upClay Aikenand his mother were gifted cars from production. Aiken had lost the top spot toRuben Studdardin 2003.

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"Clay Aiken, who didn't win the second season, got a car and his mom," the "Behind These Hazel Eyes" singer said. "I was like, what the f---? I remember Clay telling me that the second season. He was like, 'Yeah, they gave my mom one.' I was like, 'I'm gonna actually kick your a-- right now.'"

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

As for Rausch, his payday may be imminent.The Traitorsseason 3 winner Gabby Windey, who triumphed alongside fellow Faithfuls Dylan Efron, Dolores Catania, and Lord Ivar Mountbatten,experienced delaysreceiving her winnings, too.

Check out the full interview between Kelly Clarkson and Rob Rausch onThe Kelly Clarkson Showbelow.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

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March 11, 2026

Kelly Clarkson says she never got car prize for winning “American Idol”: ‘I was like, what the f---'

Kelly Clarksonrevealed that she was "lied" to about herAmerican Idolprize. The "Since U Been ...

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This 'matchmaker' helps people recoup music instruments lost to LA fires

When Michelle Bellamy evacuated her residence due to thePalisades Fire, she thought about grabbing Gretchyn, the acoustic Martin guitar gifted by a neighbor years ago and one that she wrote all her songs on.

Yet there was the voice in her head telling her she would return.

That didn't happen. Instead, the place she'd called home with her three children was taken by the fire in January 2025.

Several months later, however, Bellamy was gifted a guitar from Abby Sher, a Pacific Palisades resident who'd long stopped playing one of her "prized possessions." It was a donation facilitated through the efforts of nonprofit organizationAltadena Musicians, the brainchild of music composer Brandon Jay.

The loss has led to this "beautiful story," Bellamy said, referring to the gift of "this amazing guitar that I'm forever grateful for from Abby."

To Bellamy, Jay is a "matchmaker." He's been helping victims of the Los Angeles fires last January recoup their instruments and audio equipment through donations. It's a role he carved out for himself not long after theEaton Firetook his home and his recording studio, including all the instruments he and his wife amassed.

More than one year after the fire, it seems to him that every day, someone else finds out about Altadena Musicians, Jay said.

Now, Jay is looking to scale his creation. His vision: Launch the app Altadena Musicians anywhere in the nation and get connected to someone who can get you the instrument you need.

Yet as he eyes a wider audience, Jay is also looking to serve his local community thanks to his recently rebranded Altadena Music Center in Pasadena.

'If I could help to restore her loss': Behind one donation

TOP A firefighter sprays water on a burning home while battling the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025. The destructive and deadly wind-driven Eaton Fire ripped through Altadena, California, on Jan. 7, 2025, killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,000 structures. The fire is the fifth deadliest and the second most destructive wildfire in California history. Getty Images staff photographer Justin Sullivan revisited some of the locations he covered during the fire, nearly one year after it happened.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP Wind bends palm trees as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Trees line a street nearly one year after the Eaton Fire on Dec. 18, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP Residents dig through the remains of their family's home that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP A home burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, Calif. Fueled by intense Santa Ana Winds, the Eaton Fire has grown to over 10,000 acres and has destroyed many homes and businesses. BOTTOM A construction worker walks through a construction site of a home that is being rebuilt nearly one year after the Eaton Fire destroyed it on Dec. 19, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP A car burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A burn scar is visible on the street in front of a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP Wind pushes embers into a home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP Los Angeles County firefighters spray water on a burning home as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago is seen under construction on Dec. 18, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP A car burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Fencing surrounds a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP Los Angeles County firefighters pull a hose in front of a burning home as the Eaton Fire moved through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP A resident removes valuables from his home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP Los Angeles County firefighters spray water on burning homes as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A view of a street that was ravaged by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP Fire engulfs a home as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Roses bloom on a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP A vintage car sits parked in front of a home destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 18, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec.18, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP A resident inspects the remains of her home that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire on Jan. 9, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM Fencing surrounds a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP Los Angeles County firefighters try unsuccessfully to get water from a hydrant as they battle the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A pedestrian walks by a former Bank of America building that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 18, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP A business burns as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A sign remains standing at a property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago on Dec. 19, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> TOP Los Angeles County firefighters attempt to put out a fire at a Bank of America as the Eaton Fire moves through the area on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif. BOTTOM A former Bank of America building that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See dramatic before and after images from the Eaton Fire one year later

TOPA firefighter sprays water on a burning home while battling the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, Calif.BOTTOMA property that was destroyed by the Eaton Fire nearly one year ago sits vacant on Dec. 18, 2025. The destructive and deadly wind-driven Eaton Fire ripped through Altadena, California, on Jan. 7, 2025, killing 19 people and destroying more than 9,000 structures. The fire is the fifth deadliest and the second most destructive wildfire in California history. Getty Images staff photographer Justin Sullivan revisited some of the locations he covered during the fire, nearly one year after it happened.

No more than two weeks after the Eaton Fire ignited, Jay had a gig to play: the annual Pasadena Neighbor Day. He made a Facebook post describing what instruments he needed, and loved ones showed up with them at the show, Jay said.

It arrived as Jay came to another realization about the numerous instruments he and his wife lost to the Eaton Fire.

"I want to replace them with ones that I get from friends or from people in the music community," Jay said. "I don't want to just get some money from my homeowner's insurance and then buy instruments that don't have a story behind them, because it's just going to make me sad that I don't have the first guitar that I learned how to play on, or the harmonium that my mother-in-law gave us that my daughter wrote her first song on."

Less than a month after the Eaton Fire broke out, Altadena Musicians launched.

Bellamy didn't have to wait long to find out that Altadena Musicians had a match for her after she reached out over social media last year.

"And within 20 minutes after messaging them, Brandon texted me and was like, 'Oh my God, I'm so thankful you messaged us,'" Bellamy said.

He had a "perfect match" for her.

"We've been looking for someone that lost a Martin that is the same description as the one you lost in the fire," Bellamy recalled of Jay's response.

That's how Bellamy ultimately met Sher in person — Jay said he is big on having people connect directly and meet each other when gifting and receiving an instrument or equipment.

The two shared an embrace when they met in April 2025. Then, Sher handed her the instrument, a guitar that was gifted to the 81-year-old by her brother and one she'd stopped playing years ago, she said.

Bellamy's happiness in having a guitar made Sher happy, she said.

"I would have sold it, as I had planned to," Sher said when asked about whether knowing her instrument would go to a person impacted by the fires carried any more significance to her.

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"But if I could help to restore her loss, that was the motivation for me in giving it," she said.

How Altadena Musicians has inspired another Eaton Fire survivor

On a Sunday in January amid an instrument drive for Altadena Musicians, Sunny Lu was given an Apollo Twin X, an audio interface that she said allows for professional-level, quality sound output. It was an item she felt she couldn't have justified replacing for herself anytime soon, and it was a donation that meant the world to her, she said.

Lu narrates audiobooks and lost her home, including her basement studio, in the Eaton Fire. The dedicated recording space was important for her work and had housed equipment like an audio interface that she had actually upgraded to "honor" her career, she said.

"Because it's been donated and has its story, it also has been imbued with this new importance," Lu said of the audio equipment.

The audio equipment, which entered her life because someone cared enough to help her, has transformed into something beyond aiding her professionally.

"There's something about it reentering my life in this very special way where I feel like I need to give it the extra respect that it's due, because now I have like a duty and responsibility as the next, the next user — the next owner," Lu said.

Also on that January day came Gayle Nicholls-Ali, who was there to pick up an instrument. Her husband, Rasheed Ali, lost his recording studio at their Altadena home due to the Eaton Fire. Also gone was Nicholls-Ali's studio for her photography.

Seeing the existence of Altadena Musicians had spurred Nicholls-Ali to ask: Who is helping out the photographers?

She reached out to Jay in 2025, who walked her though how he created Altadena Musicians. It led her to formAltadena Photographers, which similarly aims to help people recoup their equipment through donations.

But that's just one part of helping photographers in Altadena, Nicholls-Ali said. It's also about helping them with their mental health and connecting them to what they need, according to Nicholls-Ali. That's taken the form of connecting people to work opportunities and being responsive when they tell her they need other items, from computers or to use a printer for their photos.

"We're thinking about holistically, how can we help beyond the camera gear?" Nicholls-Ali said. "How can we help?"

To Jay, Nicholls-Ali's efforts have been "incredible."

"It's really a wonderful thing to help people," Jay said.

What's next for Altadena Musicians one year after the fires

Altadena Musicians launched an app called Instrument Giving in 2025, the "wedding registry for musicians" that lets people list what they lost in the Los Angeles fires, according to the organization.

Jay hopes to scale the app so that it's not just for people impacted by fires in Southern California, but rather, a tool people facing disasters anywhere can turn to and get back the instrument or equipment they'd lost, according to Jay.

Perhaps there could even be a version of the app where people are just sharing their instruments to someone who needs it or wants to borrow it, unrelated to a disaster, he said.

Jay has also been creating something for his local community: the Altadena Music Center off Lincoln Avenue in Pasadena.

The space — which Jay aims to have a grand opening for later this year — has already held programming like open mic nights, live music and even an evening dedicated to guitar repairs. It's a destination for people to gather, and a "music hub for the community," he said. Also in the plans at the space: an area for those impacted by the fires to recoup their record collections, and a recording studio for people to use, according to Jay.

"The one super cool thing in all this is just people meeting each other and building a bigger music community, both people that are fire impacted and then other people that are just donating instruments and just meeting people that they're giving them to and staying in contact and coming and seeing them play live," he said.

Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her atpbarraza@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Altadena Musicians helps LA fires recovery, instrument by instrument

byCosmopolite

in

March 11, 2026

This 'matchmaker' helps people recoup music instruments lost to LA fires

When Michelle Bellamy evacuated her residence due to thePalisades Fire, she thought about grabbing Gretchyn, the acousti...

Read More

“Lean In”'s Sheryl Sandberg Says Popularity of Tradwives Could Be 'Very Detrimental to Women,' Even If by Accident (Exclusive)

Sheryl Sandberg is pushing back on the increasingly popular (if much debated) trend of "tradwives"

NEED TO KNOW

• The label, short for traditional wives, emphasizes a homemaking lifestyle based around motherhood and domestic activities like cooking

• "We need to be realistic and we need to not use new ideas to reinforce what are old, outdated and very, very, very sexist notions of what roles are," the Lean In author and former CEO tells PEOPLE

Sheryl Sandbergwould like to say a few things about tradwives.

The former Meta CEO andLean Inauthor — who runsa similarly named groupas part of her family foundation — has long been a vocal advocate for women to push for more opportunities in the workplace.

In an interview with PEOPLE, Sandberg, 56, is pushing back on the increasingly popular (if much debated) trend.

The label, short for traditional wives, emphasizes a homemaking lifestyle based around motherhood and domestic activities like cooking.

Someinfluencers, like Alexia Delarosa and Estee Williams, have attracted massive followings online (though Williams said last yearshe was stepping awayfrom the niche). Others, like Ballerina Farm's Hannah Neeleman, don't embrace the label itself but post similar content.

Sandberg finds the tradwife talk reductive for women both as parents and professionals.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"The message that is going out is that in order to be a good wife or a good mother, you need to do it full time," she says. "And the truth is that that is a decision almost no women can afford to make."

She continues: "If you look at the percentages of women who need to work outside of the home to support their families, it's the great majority of women. And so these messages that 'this is how you have a successful marriage, that this is how you have six children,' I think, are very detrimental to women."

And while "I don't think they are meant that way ... there are so many messages that tell women what their place is that limit their ambition," Sandberg says, "and this is potentially, inadvertently, one of them."

A better message is a simpler one, she says: Women should choose how they want to spend their lives.

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"If you have the resources and you want to be a tradwife, that's great," she tells PEOPLE. "That's for you to decide."

At the same time, she says, "We need to be realistic and we need to not use new ideas to reinforce what are old, outdated and very, very, very sexist notions of what roles are."

Sandberg also worries that phrases like "tradwife" make women who can't or won't assume that role feel guilty.

"Let's be clear: You are not harming your marriage and you are not harming your children by working and by being ambitious," she says.

Sandberg has been busy herself. As an advocate, she is focused onending child marriage— an issue she says is critical to human rights — and she funded areportreleased this month on the tolls of the practice.

Produced by the Institute of Global Politics Women's Initiative at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, the report tallied the worldwide casualties and economic costs of minors being married off.

According to the report, child marriage causes between 100,000 and 190,000 deaths of children under age 5 annually and is associated with up to 14,000 maternal deaths a year. Up to $175 billion each year is also lost in the global economy, according to the report.

Amid increasing outcry and scrutiny, however, child marriage is increasingly uncommon.

The number of women around the world who were married before age 18 has decreased from one in four in 1997 to nearly one in five in 2022, according to the report. The decrease has been attributed to such factors as increases in girls' education, less poverty and tougher laws.

"We're at a moment where international cooperation is breaking down," Sandberg says. "We are not working on issues, and so much is controversial and polarized. But I don't think this is. I think this is super clear: Child marriage should not be allowed to happen anywhere in the world."

Read the original article onPeople

byCosmopolite

in

March 11, 2026

“Lean In”'s Sheryl Sandberg Says Popularity of Tradwives Could Be 'Very Detrimental to Women,' Even If by Accident (Exclusive)

Sheryl Sandberg is pushing back on the increasingly popular (if much debated) trend of "tradwives" ...

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US vaccine advisers drop plan to question mRNA COVID shots, WaPo reports

March 11 (Reuters) - A key U.S. federal vaccine advisory panel has dropped a push against COVID ‌mRNA vaccines, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, ‌citing two people familiar with the matter.

Some vaccine advisers under Health ​and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr had been seeking to potentially stop recommending mRNA shots, but that plan is no longer moving forward, the report ‌said.

The Department of Health ⁠and Human Services, which oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, did not ⁠immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment outside regular working hours.

The advisers to the CDC are slated to ​meet next ​week and are expected ​to make recommendations on ‌which vaccines Americans should receive and when.

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Under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime anti-vaccine activist, the HHS decided in August last year to wind down mRNA vaccine development activities under its biomedical research ‌unit.

He had said "the data show ​these vaccines fail to protect effectively ​against upper respiratory ​infections like COVID and flu," despite scientific ‌evidence to the contrary.

These vaccines, ​produced by Pfizer-BioNTech ​and Moderna, do not contain weakened or inactivated viruses, and instead give cells instructions to make a ​protein component of ‌the virus, prompting the body to build immunity.

(Reporting ​by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by ​Andrew Heavens and Andrei Khalip)

byCosmopolite

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March 11, 2026

US vaccine advisers drop plan to question mRNA COVID shots, WaPo reports

March 11 (Reuters) - A key U.S. federal vaccine advisory panel has dropped a push against COVID ‌mRNA vaccines, the Wash...

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