Jennifer Lopez says turning down ‘Unfaithful’ role still haunts her

Jennifer Lopez is looking back on a missed opportunity.

The actress revealed that she was given the chance to star in 2002’s “Unfaithful” but turned it down – a decision that still “haunts” her, she explained during a Wednesday appearance on “The Howard Stern Show.”

After Lopez passed on the erotic thriller, Diane Lane was cast and ultimately earned an Oscar nomination for the role.

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Jennifer Lopez revealed on Howard Stern’s show that she turned down the lead role in “Unfaithful,” which later earned Diane Lane an Oscar nomination. (Adrián Monroy/Medios y Media/Getty Images)

“[Director] Adrian Lyne offered me ‘Unfaithful,’” Lopez, 56, told Stern during the candid interview. “The script wasn’t good, and then he made it great.”

Lane went on to star opposite Richard Gere in the critically acclaimed drama — and received a best actress nod at the 2003 Academy Awards for her performance as a married woman caught in a dangerous affair.

“And Diane Lane got nominated for the Oscar,” Lopez said with a laugh, still seemingly in disbelief.

Jennifer Lopez appears on “The Howard Stern Show” at SiriusXM Studios on Oct. 15, 2025. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Stern asked point-blank, “Is that hard to live with?”

“It’s funny. It haunts me,” Lopez admitted. “It haunts me a little bit, because it’s, like, the one that I turned down. It was just like, ‘Why did you turn down working with Adrian Lyne? What were you thinking?’ I don’t know what was going on in my mind at the time. Who knows what was going on with me at the time?”

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In a career-defining role, Lane, 60, earned widespread praise as Constance “Connie” Sumner in the film “Unfaithful.”

She ultimately lost the Oscar to Nicole Kidman, who took home the award for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in “The Hours.” That year’s category was stacked with heavy hitters, including Salma Hayek, Julianne Moore and Renée Zellweger.

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Richard Gere and Diane Lane at the New York premiere of “Unfaithful.” (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

In addition to sharing her thoughts on missed opportunities in movies, Lopez isn’t holding back when it comes to sharing details about her best on-screen kiss. 

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During Wednesday’s episode of “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” Lopez was put on the spot during the late-night talk show’s playful “Plead The Fifth” segment.

Cohen teased, “We have George Clooney, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Fiennes, Richard Gere, Owen Wilson, Josh Lucas, it goes on and on,” referencing Lopez’s impressive list of rom-com co-stars. “Plus movies which are in the can waiting to come out!”

But Lopez had a clear winner for the best on-screen kisser.

Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein are seen on the set of “Office Romance” on April 7, 2025. (Getty Images)

“I’m gonna say my favorite … I just did a movie with Brett Goldstein, and I’d say he was the best kisser,” she revealed.

The pop icon referred to her upcoming romantic comedy “Office Romance,” which pairs her opposite “Ted Lasso” star Brett Goldstein, 45.

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Lopez first confirmed her role alongside Goldstein in September 2024, noting the film’s screenplay was penned by Goldstein himself.