14 DAY TRIAL // Even Jennifer Lopez's manager Benny Medina admitted in a recent interview that she tends to mix pleasure with business to the detriment of both. The latest report on JLo's American Idol contract claims her boyfriend Casper Smart is now calling all the shots.
He's not yet working for Jennifer in an official capacity, but he has every intention of getting her to hire him as her manager, which means she has to fire Medina.
Even so, Jennifer brought Casper to a meeting with Fox executives to discuss about the possibility of returning for another season on American Idol, The National Enquirer has learned (story via CB).
Instead of just sitting in at the discussions, Casper decided to take matters into his own hands and spoke out about how Jennifer didn't “need” Idol, but the other way around.
Understandably, this caused a lot of friction between Jennifer and her longtime manager Medina, as well as between Medina and Smart.
“A bitter tug of war is going on between Casper and Benny over Jennifer’s business affairs, and it’s causing problems between her and Casper,” a well-placed source says for the latest print issue of the publication.
“Casper would love for Jennifer to fire Benny and hire him as her business manager, but Jennifer is torn. While she loves Casper, she realizes Benny knows what’s best for her professionally,” the insider adds.
Even so, Casper is pressuring Jennifer into taking him on as her manager, telling her he has her best interest at heart since he loves her and all.
Medina, on the other hand, is fed up that she would be so immature as to allow this type of behavior on her boyfriend's part.
“The meeting was a disaster. This 25 year-old kid was telling executives that Jennifer did not need Idol, that Idol’ NEEDED her and 'they' were thinking about heading in a different career direction,” the insider says of what went down behind closed doors.
“Benny almost blew a gasket. After the meeting, he and Casper had a huge screaming match with Benny telling Casper that he’s nothing more than a gold-digging backup dancer,” the spy adds.
Jennifer and Casper have been dating for about a year but there's already been plenty of speculation about how he's slowly inching his way into her business decision-making process – which could, turns out, to ruin all her hard work throughout the years.