Is ‘Hustlers’ Movie Starring Jennifer Lopez Based On A True Story?
“Hustlers,” starring Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Keke Palmer, and Lili Reinhart, is an entertaining film from beginning to end. Hustlers is an exciting crime comedy, but it also explores the destructive cycle of capitalism, the imbalance of power between the genders, and the resilience found in female friendships.
The critically acclaimed film, which received an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, has both elegance and substance, thanks to its all-star cast and profound central theme. It’s difficult to believe that the exciting and fantastical events shown in “Hustlers” are based on actual historical occurrences.
Written by American journalist Jessica Pressler, the piece “The Hustlers at Scores” appeared in the December 2015 issue of New York Magazine. A character based on Jessica also appears in the film. Elizabeth, played by Julia Stiles, is a reporter researching the scammers for an article.
Is ‘Hustlers’ Based on A True Story?
The events depicted in Hustlers were inspired by real events. Lorene based the screenplay on an article in New York Magazine after the devastating 2008 stock market meltdown called “The Hustlers at Scores.” Lorene had a clear idea of who she wanted to star in the film early on and admitted that she had been “hunting” Cardi B for the part. The rapper, originally from the Bronx, seems like a perfect fit for the role.
Cardi supported herself as a musician by working as a stripper; she recently got into trouble for revealing that she drugged and robbed men who sought her out for prostitution. So, it’s not too much of a stretch to play a character that will do whatever it takes to advance financially. Lorene discussed the effort she put into assembling the film’s ensemble in an interview with IndieWire, noting that once Jennifer Lopez was attached, her job was made much easier.
For at least two years before the release of the film, I followed Cardi closely on Instagram. For a year, I was also trying to get with Lizzo. I had hoped against hope that I would see both of them in the film. In a way, I lucked out because everyone wants to work with Jennifer Lopez when she’s the lead in a movie. Even though Lizzo and Cardi B are making their big screen debuts,
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“I think musicians and singers, performers, they’re just naturally extremely brilliant at time and rhythm and they’re just kind of natural-born actors,” Lorene says, expressing confidence in their ability to make the leap from music to acting. As for Cardi B and Lizzo, they both bring a lot of character. I aimed to create characters that gave them a platform to express themselves, but I also wanted to ensure that they felt like they belonged to the larger cast.
The Movie Faced a Lawsuit From Barbash
Samantha Barbash was unhappy with how she was portrayed in the film “Hustlers,” despite the fact that she had agreed to tell her experience to Jessica Pressler for the article that inspired the film. Barbash actually filed a lawsuit over her concerns. According to the BBC, Barbash filed suit against the movie’s creators in the year 2020.
Instead of taking precautions to safeguard Ms. Barbash’s rights, the defendants “engaged in a deliberate attempt to make it well-known that J-Lo was playing Ms. Barbash,” as the lawsuit put it. Barbash said the movie slandered her and invaded her privacy. She also objected to the way Ramona’s drug use was portrayed.
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In the film “Hustlers,” Ramona has a significant part in creating a drug cocktail that fools its prey. Barbash claims that she has never been involved in the drug trade or drug consumption. In spite of the court pointing out certain inconsistencies between Barbash and her “Hustlers” character, she was nevertheless found not guilty of violating the terms of the lawsuit.
The judge found in favor of the defendant, Barbash, and the case was dismissed (via Entertainment Weekly). Several of the players in the “Hustlers” drama have authored books detailing the behind-the-scenes action. Roselyn Keo wrote “The Sophisticated Hustler,” and in her book “Underscore,” Barbash rebuts the charges made by Pressler.
