Fears Jennifer Lopez is barreling toward ‘burn out’: As she bags $20m deal with world-famous brand… troubling real reason she just won’t stop, as friends have flashbacks to 2002 ‘nervous breakdown’
Singing in her famous Jenny From The Block hit about how she ‘used to have a little, now I have a lot’ has clearly stuck with Jennifer Lopez.
Because far from planning to slow down, the 57-year-old is only increasing her workload.
The Daily Mail has learned that the mom-of-two will be the new face of Dolce Gabbana, a deal that is expected to see her pocket $20 million. She is also planning an international tour for next year. And this is all in addition to the two movies she will have to promote – The JLo Show, about her recent Las Vegas residency, and the upcoming crime thriller The Last Mrs Parrish.
‘She is working her tail off because she wants to stay busy, though there is some concern she may burn out,’ said a source close to the singer. ‘But this it is how she stays sane during this weird time in her life.’
That ‘weird time’ has to do with some major life shifts.
Not only is she staying single after a bitterly painful divorce from Ben Affleck, but her twins Max and Oskar, formerly known as Emme, are heading off to college in a matter of weeks leaving her with an empty nest.
Jennifer Lopez is working harder than ever these days. The Daily Mail has learned that she has landed a $20 million modeling deal with Dolce Gabbana and will tour again next year (pictured in July in Paris)
One of the reasons she is working so hard is because she has sworn off men since her difficult split from husband Ben Affleck, a source told the Daily Mail (pictured in 2023)
‘It’s not an easy time for Jennifer, there are a lot of changes, it’s very emotional, but she finds comfort in working nonstop, which is great because her career is still doing very well,’ said a source.
‘She just works, works, works! She likes to be a workaholic, she is incredibly driven, a typical Type-A Leo who wants to never be out of the spotlight.’
And it beats taking a back seat. ‘For her, working is better than staying at home eating takeout from Nobu alone in front of the TV. She would rather wake up at 5am and put in a 14-hour day and never complain,’ said the source. ‘But one day she may wake up completely exhausted.’
It wouldn’t be the first time.
She previously revealed how she reached breaking point in 2002 while filming the thriller Enough, in which she played an abused wife trying to flee to safety with her young daughter.
‘There was a time when I was very overworked and I was doing music and movies and so many things,’ she recalled of the troubling time in a 2008 interview with The Daily Telegraph. ‘I was suffering from a lack of sleep. And I did have a kind of nervous breakdown. I froze up on set. Well, not on a set, but in my trailer. I was like – I don’t want to move, I don’t want to talk, I don’t want to do anything. It was on that movie, Enough. Yeah, I did. I had a nervous breakdown’
Fast forward nearly two decades and Lopez is still struggling to slow down – and her demands are bigger than ever.
‘Her paychecks are huge these days, she gets around $10 million a movie, and if she produces her own films through her Nuyorican Productions banner, she takes a huge chunk of the profit,’ said one Hollywood insider. ‘Her business model is savvy.’
‘She is working her tail off because she wants to stay busy, though there is some concern she may burn out,’ said a source close to the singer. In July she was the headline performer at the DG’s Alta Moda 2026 couture event (pictured)
The Bronx native is also planning a massive world tour for 2027 (pictured performing in Los Angeles in June)
Lopez reportedly did not earn a salary on her 2019 hit film Hustlers but rather took a ‘backend deal,’ reportedly making her around $15 million from the movie that pulled in a staggering $157 million worldwide.
It also costs a lot just to have her show up at an event.
‘She asks for $40,000 for her glam squad every time she steps on a red carpet, which can turn off some companies,’ said our source close to Lopez.
The $40,000 cost comes from having a top-notch team; she has three stylists (Mariel Haenn, Rob Zangardi and Hannah Margeson), three makeup artists (Scott Barnes, Ernesto Casillas and Rokael Lizama), two hair stylists (Chris Appleton and Justine Marjan), a nail professional (Tom Bachik) and several photographers on hand like her pal Ana Carballosa.
‘That is a huge cost, and has to be factored into marketing budgets, but she has to look amazing to sell. And it is worth it, because everything she touches makes money,’ said the source. ‘It’s called an investment. What’s the big deal?
‘Netflix had to pay a ton to her glam team when she promoted Office Romance. But the movie did super well. She is not making enemies for the cost, but I think some brands are like, ‘she is way too expensive’ and they say no.’
So it’s no surprise she’s landed a massive sum to become the face of the new Dolce Gabbana campaign.
‘She got a huge paycheck for that, over $20 million, and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of clothing and accessories, not to mention a first-class trip to Italy in July with her sister and entourage,’ said our source close to Lopez.
Another thing bothering the star, according to our source, is that her twins Max and Oskar – formerly Emme – are heading off to college in a matter of weeks leaving her with Empty Nest Syndrome
‘Jennifer snapped it all up, she was like hello, I am the queen, I deserve all this, and she does really.’
The source also insisted that this is de rigueur for an A-list star these days.
‘Dolce Gabbana gave her and her sister hundreds of thousands worth of clothing and accessories when they went to Italy in July for the DG concert, but that kind of thing is common.
‘Jennifer was photographed in the clothes dozens of times, so there is a return. She drives sales.
‘To be honest, she delivers great product, everything she touched turns to gold, so why not? Her single Save Me Tonight and her movie Office Romance were both big hits. Companies beg to work with her.’
Indeed, Save Me Tonight hit number one on Billboard’s Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart and Office Romance debuted at number one globally on Netflix with almost 21 million views in its first three days.
The Dolce Gabbana deal has still not been announced.
‘The whole thing is very hush-hush. She is the main star in the very splashy and sexy ad shot in Italy,’ said our source. ‘She was also the headline performer at the brand’s Alta Moda 2026 couture event in July, so that was a big hint.
The actress has been busy all year. In June she starred alongside Brett Goldstein in the romantic comedy Office Romance, which debuted at number one on Netflix
Lopez also came out with two new singles this year: Save Me Tonight with David Guetta and Everything’s Fine with Alok
‘This is a big feather in JLo’s cap as the designers usually only work with top stars like Madonna, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry. She already posed for the brand’s eyeglasses in 2022 so that was like a warmup. Jennifer is super proud to land such a big modelling contract at her age.’
Modeling is nothing new for the siren having previously been the face of Guess, Versace, Intimissimi and Coach.
She is also said to be prepping for a 2027 world tour ‘because she wants to be on stage again.’ ‘The venues may not be huge, but she doesn’t care,’ the source said. ‘It will still cement her status as a powerhouse.’
And such a status will help her with getting one step closer to becoming a billionaire, a feat we are told she is keen to achieve like that of her friends Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, who live in the same Hidden Hills, California community as Lopez.
‘Jennifer would love to be a billionaire, sure, it would look good on her,’ said the source. ‘She is thrilled to still be making so much money at her age, she feels it is a gift, and she definitely wants to grow her empire.’
Lopez, who is reportedly worth an estimated $400 million, has already had a busy year. In January she performed her Las Vegas concert Up All Night at Caesars Palace and released the new neck serum for JLo Beauty. The next month, she modeled workout clothes for Kim Kardashian’s Nike/Skims on Instagram.
In March she came out with the single Save Me Tonight then performed The JLo Show at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. April was also packed as she performed at Coachella and appeared in a LinkedIn ad during Office Romance as she began promoting the romantic comedy with co-star Brett Goldstein.
In May, she promoted designers such as Dolce Gabbana – a hint her deal was in the works – Brunello Cucinelli and Yeprem on Instagram. June was extra busy as she continued to promote Office Romance and launched the new single Everything’s Fine with Alok.
July saw her drop the JLo Beauty Bling Mirror, hit Paris Fashion Week to support designers Zuhair Murad and Celia Kritharioti, while promoting Chopard and Ralph Lauren, and she modeled for Dolce Gabbana while performing at the brand’s Alta Moda 2026 couture event in Taormina, Sicily.
‘Jennifer loves a good side hustle, she loves the big paychecks and how great she looks in the ads, it’s a win-win. Isn’t it every girls dream to model for fancy brands?’ asked the source.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Lopez’s representative for comment.