25 Years After Playing Selena, J.Lo Pays Tribute To The Late Singer Again

Among the many roles Jennifer Lopez has played — Ramona from Hustlers, Marisa from Maid in Manhattan, and Ricki from Gigli — it seems as though her turn as the late Selena Quintanilla is still closest to the singer’s heart. Lopez plays the Tejano music star in the 1997 biopic Selena, which follows the titular singer’s rise to fame and tragic death at 23 in the hands of her fan club’s president Yolanda Saldívar. It was a star-making turn for Lopez, who later established herself as a singer and went on to make music as “Jenny from the Block.”

Lopez honored the “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” singer on Dec. 26 by stepping out in a Selena graphic T-shirt, per Page Six. Lopez paired her shirt with floral pants on a day out with her child, Emme, sister Lynda, and niece Lucie. The shirt was gifted by Quintanilla’s sister, Suzette, and it apparently became a staple in the Hustlers star’s Christmas gifts this year as well.

In Lopez’s most recent On The JLo newsletter, the “Love Don’t Cost A Thing” singer shared all things Christmas, including how she spent the holidays (she threw a hummingbird-themed Christmas party), what she wore (a Gucci dress), and Christmas gift ideas she swears by. “Here are some things I gifted for Christmas this year that I absolutely love…but if you need a great gift they really work all year long for any special person or special occasion!!!!” she wrote under the “MY FAVORITE THINGS” section. In her gifts roundup, which included Le Labo candles and Hermès scarves, was a “Selena gift box.” The singer included a selfie wearing a different Selena-printed tee tucked into jeans.

“Suzette and the family sent me a great Selena gift box this week and I loved it!!!,” the “Let’s Get Loud” singer wrote. “I wore this Selena shirt right away to go Christmas shopping. If you like rock and roll tees … these shirts are a super cool gift. Selena was such a big part of my life, so you will see me rocking these in the new year for sure!!! Thank you Q fam!!!” If you wanna dress like Lopez, the shirts retail for under $30.

Since Lopez played Quintanilla 25 years ago, she has been vocal about loving the late great and her family. On March 21, 2022, the film’s 25th anniversary, Lopez posted a touching tribute on Instagram to the role that changed her life. “What a very special day … we’re celebrating 25 years of SELENA! 🌹 Today we celebrate and honor Selena’s legacy and music. This movie means so much to me … Selena and her family mean so much to me, and I was so lucky to be chosen to play her. I’ll never forget this time in my life and it’s an honor as an artist to have been part of the magic that is this movie,” she wrote.

The singer has consistently been vocal about her love for Quintanilla and the opportunity to portray her. When she isn’t marking the anniversaries of the singer’s death or the film’s release with hashtags dedicated to #CelebratingSelena, the singer pays homage to her in song. In the 2015 Billboard Latin Music Awards, Lopez did a medley of Quintanilla’s songs.

“She’s just one of those very special types of artists that — with her music and her spirit and her joy and her heart — really touched people,” Lopez said in a March 2020 video. The “Dreaming of You” singer will likely always be remembered. 'Til tomorrow and for all of our lives.