Pitbull has finally explained the viral 2011 photo of himself and Jennifer Lopez at the American Music Awards, but his cheeky confession has left some people wishing he had kept the story to himself.
The rapper, whose real name is Armando Christian Pérez, revisited the moment during a Q&A at Billboard Latin Music Week in Miami on Wednesday, October 21.
While Pitbull seemed amused as he recalled what happened, some netizens were left unimpressed, with one critic calling him “so nasty and cringe.”
Over a decade later, Pitbull admits Jennifer Lopez surprised him with an unrehearsed dance move during their performance
Pitbull addressed the now-famous photo while reflecting on his 2011 American Music Awards collaboration with Jennifer Lopez.
The pair performed their hit song On the Floor, with the singer surprising the rapper with a dance move that she had apparently not practiced during rehearsals.
Before getting to the anecdote, Pitbull spoke warmly about the singer and her career.
Jeff Kravitz/AMA2011/FilmMagic
“What a, at the time, an absolute blessing and honor to be able to work with Jennifer Lopez,” he said.
“Everything that she’s done in her career and how she climbed it from the bottom all the way to where she continues to pull off her career and the success that she has.”
He then turned to the photograph, saying, “But funny story on that right there…”
The rapper confessed that he got physically “excited” while performing live on stage at the 2011 American Music Awards
Kevin Winter/AMA2011/Getty Images
He continued, “There’s a picture out there with me and Jennifer at an [awards show]. And Jennifer, during rehearsal, didn’t do a certain move that she did when the show went on. And when she did that move, I got excited.”
“So that makes sense to that picture, if you know what I’m talking about.”
The rapper was referring to the moment when Lopez, wearing a highly revealing, flesh-coloured, glittering bodysuit, backed up and began aggressively grinding against Pitbull’s pelvic area.
While Pitbull seemed to treat the story as a funny behind-the-scenes revelation, his remarks didn’t sit well with everyone online.
One viewer acknowledged that the reaction itself might not have been surprising but questioned whether the rapper needed to discuss it publicly, writing, “It’d be weird if there was no reaction. But did we really need to know this…”
“Being disgusting is something to be proud of, I see,” another commenter remarked.
The candid admission left many social media users questioning why Pitbull shared the intimate moment publicly
“I swear some celebrity stories should have stayed completely private,” a third person wrote.
One comment read, “He really said that out loud and just kept it moving like it was nothing. The confidence is honestly impressive.”
Pitbull’s explanation also gave fans a fresh reason to revisit the 2011 performance, which featured the two artists collaborating on one of their best-known hits.
During his career-retrospective interview with Billboard’s Leila Cobo, the host noted that the song suddenly re-entered the global charts in mid-2026.
The track went viral again globally after being heavily featured in the Amazon Prime series Off Campus.
Despite the suggestive nature of the performance, Lopez and Pitbull have maintained a professional relationship and friendship over the years, collaborating on several songs.
J.Lo has previously described Pitbull as a brother despite their steamy stage chemistry
Their other musical collaborations include Dance Again and Live It Up, released in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
Lopez has also previously described the rapper as being like a brother to her, making clear how she views their relationship.
Pitbull, meanwhile, has repeatedly expressed admiration for the singer’s talent, determination, and work ethic.
He ended his recent anecdote on a similarly appreciative note, saying, “So Jennifer, I appreciate you.”
He also joked that Lopez and Shakira owed him a “Super Bowl in Miami. Dale!”
“A bit tasteless of him to say that publicly… We should know less about each other,” one netizen wrote
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