Mariah Carey’s Awkward Moment During Jennifer Lopez’s NYE Performance

Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez — Image Credit: AP

DICK CLARK'S NEW YEAR'S ROCKIN' EVE WITH RYAN SEACREST - ABC's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest" stars Ryan Seacrest. (ABC/Brian Bowen Smith) — Image Credit: AP

It might be a new year, but some things never change. During CNN’s coverage of New Year’s Eve in Times Square, co-hosts Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper chatted with the one and only Mariah Carey! As they talked, however, Mariah couldn’t help but be momentarily distracted by what was happening in the background — which just so happened to be Jennifer Lopez‘s performance on ABC’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve!

“What’s going on in the background? I’m hearing music,” Mariah said to Andy as J. Lo’s singing could vaguely be heard behind Andy and Anderson. Feeling a bit uncomfortable by being put on the spot, Andy simply said, “Yeah, we got J. Lo behind us, actually,” before quickly changing the subject. You can watch the moment in the clip below.

Mariah hearing J.Lo in the background is the perfect conclusion to 2020 pic.twitter.com/kPngJ8SRqj

— Ryan Bloomquist (@ryanbloomquist) January 1, 2021

While the interaction may have come across as totally innocent, there are actually quite a few layers to Mariah and J. Lo’s relationship, or lack there of. The two powerhouse performers and respected artists have supposedly been caught-up in a feud that goes way back. It all started in the early aughts when Mariah was asked a question about J. Lo from a foreign news station. This was the moment where Mariah doled out the infamous response, “I don’t know her.”

Years later, it was actually Andy Cohen who addressed the women’s relationship. The Watch What Happens Live host asked Mariah about J. Lo once again during an interview. “Apparently, I’m forgetful,” Mariah said during the May 2016 chat. “Because I don’t remember that it was, like, ‘Hi, I’m so-and-so,’ and then move on,” Mariah said of potentially meeting J. Lo at some point.

**Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez have a rocky relationship that spans decades [AP].**

When asked if she thought J. Lo was cool, however, Mariah simply reiterated, “I don’t know her. What am I supposed to say?” Of course, there have been more chapters to this ongoing saga between the two women. Prior to his sit-down with Mariah in 2016, J. Lo had the opportunity to delve into the alleged ‘feud’ with Andy Cohen in 2014.

“I don’t have a feud against her, at all. I know from back in the day, I’ve read things that she’s said about me that were not the greatest, but we have never met,” she said during their interview. “Like, we don’t know each other. I think it’s kind of from word of mouth of things that have happened in the past that I’m not really aware of…I would love to meet her and I would love to be friends with her. I think she’s incredibly talented.” Here’s hoping that 2021 will be the year that J. Lo and Mimi finally get to know each other!