Matthew McConaughey Reveals How J.Lo’s Name Got Him Out of Trouble With Police

Matthew McConaughey has revealed that Jennifer Lopez’s name once helped him avoid serious trouble during a late-night traffic stop in Mexico. The 56-year-old actor shared the amusing story on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast.

According to McConaughey, he was driving an expensive pickup truck far south in Mexico when police pulled him over. The actor quickly realized that the officers’ attention had been drawn to the “gringo” behind the wheel of such an imposing vehicle.

At first, McConaughey was simply going to reach for his wallet, but then he decided to use an unexpected perk of his profession. He asked the officers if they knew Jennifer Lopez and had seen the 2001 movie The Wedding Planner, in which he and Lopez starred together.

Then he added:

“Yeah, yeah, that was me.”

It worked instantly. Instead of turning into a serious encounter, the traffic stop became an impromptu fan meeting: the officers began taking photos with the actor and eventually let him go without issuing a ticket.

It wasn't the first time McConaughey’s fame had unexpectedly helped him on the road. During the same interview, the actor revealed that his movies have saved him from speeding tickets several times.

Photo: Getty Images