Jennifer Lopez gives blunt response to interviewer who comments she’s 'getting up there' in age

Interviews at press screenings with celebrities are usually celebratory occasions, with lots of compliments and kind words.

Who can forget all of that Wicked praise and near-hyperventilating while raving about each other and 'holding space'?

However, it's clearly not the same for everyone.

Fans were left stunned when an interviewer asked Jennifer Lopez a frankly rude question, while talking about her new film, Unstoppable.

In what started as praise, Variety’s Senior Awards Editor, Clayton Davis, began to talk about Jennifer's 30 year career.

He added that 55-year-old J-Lo was 'getting up there' now, in a comment that horrified the gathered audience.

A video of the moment shared by TMZ caught someone off camera gasping 'Did he just say that?' - yes, yes he did.

Clayton had asked the question: “Listen, I can’t believe it’s been 30 years since Selena. I can’t believe that 30 years we do the retrospective of this and you will be 60 by then."

Jennifer interjected with 'wow', before Clayton kept digging, adding: "Which is getting up there!"

She nodded in reply, saying: “I am."

Jennifer then addressed his comment again, saying: “It’s funny you think that I’m getting up there," as Clayton desperately interrupted to say his comment was a 'joke.'

It was too late for back-pedalling though, with Jennifer deciding to use the comment as an opportunity to thank her fans.

“It’s because I want to say thank you, you guys. Because we’ve been doing this a long time together. Been doing it a long time and you guys have been here with me,” she said to the audience.

“Today, I was singing some new songs and I went back and sang ‘If You Had My Love,’ which is my first song, 1999. It’s that thing, of like, what a journey this has been.”

She added: "These types of roles change you, in a way, when you allow them to, because they come to you at times in your life when you need them, and they help you grow and they heal you in a way.”

"And if you can kind of let yourself be vulnerable enough and real enough to show you flaws and to really expose yourself in a way, as an artist, that is a gift that you always want, you want to have that," she continued.

Making a point that it isn't all about age, she finished: "For me, that’s what my life is about,” she said. “Making things that are beautiful and entertaining, but also let people know that love is what matters and that you’re not alone. That we’re all in this together.”

One fan replied on X (formerly Twitter): "JLo is good at keeping her calm in public but I’m sure backstage she went ape sh*t about that comment"

"The older you get the more beautiful you are. Age is just a number JLo," praised another.