Everyone remembers one of the MTV VMAs‘ most iconic moments featuring Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
The year was 2003, and Madonna was performing “Like a Virgin” and “Hollywood” with Britney and Xtina.
When the Queen of Pop kissed both Britney and Xtina on stage, the cut to Justin Timberlake‘s reaction became an image burned into the brains of pop culture fans forever.
The moment was even recreated by Madonna and Britney at Spears’ wedding in June 2022, according to Bustle.
According to E! News, however, the historic VMAs moment was supposed to include Jennifer Lopez rather than Aguilera.
Speaking with E! News alongside her Shotgun Wedding co-star Josh Duhamel, Lopez dropped the revelation when she was asked about the VMAs.
“Yes, that was actually true,” Lopez confirmed. “I was filming a movie in Canada, and we had met — me, her, and Britney — to do it at her home. Then I just couldn’t get off the film, and so we couldn’t do it. Then I guess they got somebody — they got Christina Aguilera, I think, to do it, and I didn’t wind up doing it.”
The film Lopez was working on was most likely 2004’s Shall We Dance, co-starring Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon. The movie filmed in Winnipeg, Canada.
“But yeah, we had talked about it,” Lopez added, before expressing her love for Madonna.
“I’m a huge fan. I always have been,” she gushed.
Earlier in the interview, Lopez even named 1984’s “Like a Virgin” as her go-to karaoke song.
It’s hard to imagine the now-legendary VMAs performance with another singer involved, but some fans online wish that J.Lo had been part of the moment.
“I’m still mad that she didn’t. I love Xtina but JLo Britney and Madonna would be even more iconic,” one fan tweeted.
Others, however, prefer the iconic performance just the way it went down in 2003.
“I prefer Britney and Xtina with Madonna cuz everyone was gagged when they found out the pop girlies with beef were gonna perform together. No offense to JLo but that would’ve have been iconic at all. Plus Xtina was at her peak during this time so it just made more sense,” another fan wrote on Twitter.