Turns out, JLo was actually the one supposed to kiss Madonna during the iconic 2003 VMAs

Everyone remembers the Madonna-Britney Spears-Christina Aguilera kiss at the 2003 VMAs, but JLo just revealed she was supposed to originally join the performance

Jennifer Lopez's new album will be her first in nine years
(Image credit: Daniele Venturelli/Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images for Luisaviaroma)

It’s been two decades since Madonna, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera shocked the world during an iconic performance at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, during which the three actually locked lips on stage.

During a new interview with E! News alongside her Shotgun Wedding co-star Josh Duhamel, JLo surprised even further when revealing that she was actually supposed to be part of the legendary gig, which also featured rapper Missy Elliot.

"I was filming a movie in Canada and I met with Madonna and Britney," explained Jennifer. "And I couldn't get off the film, so they got Christina to do it. I'm a huge fan of Madonna, I always have been."

That’s really interesting news indeed!

The memorable performance was actually the opening of the awards show, with Britney first entering the stage dressed as a bride singing Madonna's famous 1984 track Like a Virgin. Christina followed her fellow pop star, wearing a similar outfit and belting out the tune as well, at which point Madonna is seen coming out of a giant wedding cake wearing a more "groom-like" outfit and singing her 2003 song Hollywood. 

After dancing with both Britney and Christina, Madonna kisses them both and Missy enters the stage rapping and dancing with the threesome. 

Back in June of 2022, Madonna and Britney actually recreated the iconic moment at the latter’s intimate wedding to Sam Asghari.

Fans obviously got to see Britney in a wedding dress again, this time a custom-made Versace, an unsurprising collaboration given that the designer has been designing custom pieces for the pop star for decades, dressing her for public appearances and even her very own music videos.

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Although JLo missed out on the performance, she's obviously had her fair share of iconic shows throughout her stellar career. 

Most recently, the triple-threat artist is gearing up for the release of her new album, considered a love letter to husband Ben Affleck 20 years in the making.

The album will be her first in nine years, so it’s understandable that fans would be excited. But the album is a direct follow-up to her Ben-inspired album titled This is Me… Then.

This Is Me... Then came out in 2002 and helped solidify JLo's emerging star power. After all, this was the album that included her iconic song Jenny From the Block.

On the 20th anniversary of This Is Me… Then, JLo took to her recently wiped Instagram to post what appeared to be a photo of the album cover.

However, this was no mere photo or throwback – the photo comes alive as 2002’s Jennifer merges into 2022’s (though you can hardly spot a difference, and this could be down to this beauty hack the Maid in Manhattan star swears by), and she introduced her upcoming album titled This Is Me… Now.

Fans are patiently awaiting the official drop of the work, which is rumored to be some time early this year.

Anna Rahmanan

Anna Rahmanan is a New York-based writer and editor who covers culture, entertainment, food, fashion and travel news. Anna’s words have appeared on Time Out New York, the Huffington Post, Fortune, Forbes, Us Weekly, Bon Appetit and Brooklyn Magazine, among other outlets.