Celebrity-owned alcohol brands are hardly a new phenomenon, but what about when the celebrity in question doesn’t actually drink? Jennifer Lopez is facing backlash on social media this week after she announced Delola, her new booze brand, despite the fact that she’s talked publicly about her sobriety for years now.
Lopez has spoken out in many interviews about her decision to not drink, citing health and beauty concerns as her reason for staying away from the hard stuff. Though she admits that she’ll partake in the occasional Champagne toast, she claims to cut herself off after one single sip. “I think that [drinking alcohol] ruins your skin,” she told InStyle. “Of course, during celebratory toasts, everybody’s like, ‘You can’t toast with water!’ So I’ll toast with alcohol and just take a sip.”
It’s a weird move, then, for someone who by and large steers clear of alcohol to launch a product they themselves won’t use. And yet on Wednesday, Lopez announced the launch of Delola, a line of bottled spritz-inspired cocktails.
“I have been grinding non-stop for decades, and more and more I’m realizing the importance of enjoying life,” the singer said in an Instagram video promoting the brand. “I just wanted to create something better — something better tasting, better ingredients, something I would want to drink with my friends and family, and that is Delola.”
The comments section of the Instagram post was quickly flooded with people pointing out that this seems like a cash-grab because J. Lo doesn’t drink, noting how insensitive it is for her to profit off of booze when she’s married to Ben Affleck, a recovering alcoholic who has been very open about his struggles with substance abuse.
“Super disappointed and confused about you promoting something that you have openly shared you do not partake in because of the health effects of alcohol,” one comment reads. “Also, you are married to a man that struggles with alcohol addiction and yet…”
The Biggest Trend in Booze? Celebrity-Owned Spirits.
Why everyone from Bob Dylan to Conor McGregor is having a drink“She doesn’t even drink but get that bag girl,” another said.
“Oh wow. This is disappointing,” one fan wrote. “Why not create a NA brand considering you’ve been outspoken about the negative affects of alcohol and that you yourself don’t drink? This feels so off-brand for you, genuinely curious why you’re selling alcohol.”
Of course, the reason why is “because it will make her money.” This is just the latest example of a celebrity slapping their name on a product in the hopes of making an extra buck. Call us crazy, but we prefer booze that was made by people who actually like to drink their product.
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