Celebrity

Jennifer Lopez's Former Employee Opens Up About Being Body Shamed By The Singer In Front Of Fellow Backup Dancers Amid Claims Of 'Rude' And 'Diva' Behavior: 'Felt Like Hell'

May 20, 2026 by Maria Pierides
shefinds | Celebrity
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Jennifer Lopez has had a reputation for being rude and behaving like a diva for as long as we can remember. And that reputation isn’t going away any time soon, especially if recent allegations are to be believed!

According to reports, one of the 56-year-old “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” singer’s former backup dancers has accused her of being incredibly rude while they were working together – even body shaming her in front of the other dancers. Ouch!

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Mia Starr and Jennifer Lopez

Mia Starr Says Working With Jennifer Lopez Was The 'Worst Experience' She Ever Had

The backup dancer in question is 40-year-old Mia Starr (off-stage name Mikey Pesante) who performed with Lopez during the 2020 Super Bowl halftime show in Miami. Mia has danced with huge names including Rihanna and Britney Spears, but she didn't have fond memories of performing with the JLo Beauty mogul, saying working with her "felt like hell."

Mia, who worked as a professional dancer before competing on season 18 of RuPaul's Drag Race, recalled how Lopez turned up to rehearsals to evaluate the dancers – and their moves allegedly weren't the only things she was analyzing!

Mia recalled the uncomfortable moment during rehearsals in a YouTube video with fellow drag performer Mistress Isabelle Brooks, and said: "I get there the second day of rehearsal, so she looks at me. She tells me to take off my shirt. I was like, [expletive] just me?"

She went on: "I take off my shirt… she makes this face, followed by, 'Guys, I need you to elevate yourselves. I need you to go to the gym and take care of yourself.' I'm like, [expletive] we got three months. I'm gonna snatch it back. Just give me a second."

"But she then made us rehearse for nine hours shirtless," Mia revealed, adding: "So as I'm dancing, I'm jiggling the [expletive] out of the entire nine hours. It was like a hazing. I was like, why am I here? Why am I doing this to myself?"

Jennifer Lopez Halftime Show

Mia Starr Says She Felt Jennifer Lopez 'Hated' Her And Was 'Disgusted' By Her Body

She then claimed the Kiss of the Spider Woman star brought in an elephant ear truck and an ice cream truck for the dancers the following day…

"I was the first person in line," she recalled. "Actually, I was being petty. I looked at her. I was like, 'Thank you.' And then she looks at me and gave, 'Guys, I need you to elevate yourselves.' She hated me."

"Are you a J-Lo fan?" Mistress Isabelle Brooks asked, to which Mia replied: "Team Shakira all day." Brooks chimed in: "Let me tell you something. J-Lo, I know you're watching. I'm forever a lamb to the day I die. Mariah Carey will [expletive] on you, baby."

Mia concluded: "I would be in front of her and be like, 'This [expletive] is gorgeous.' But would I work with her again? No. I was asked to come back for another gig and I said no. It was the worst experience that I've ever had."

Mia later expanded on the experience in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, where she said she felt the "On the Floor" singer seemed "disgusted" by her body. "It just felt like an icky feeling," she admitted. "To a normal person, I wasn't huge," she went on, adding that Lopez "made it very clear that she was not pleased with my image, the way she gave that look of disgust. I was like, oh, this is embarrassing."

Author:

Senior Celebrity Writer

Maria has spent the last decade writing about entertainment, fashion, and lifestyle for online and print publications all around the globe – including InStyle, OK!, and The Mirror. At SheFinds, Maria covers breaking celebrity news, red carpet looks, celebrity transformations, A-list couples, and has a watchful eye on celebrity social media accounts. You can reach her at contactmariapierides@gmail.com