JLo surprises Abbey guests with brunch appearance -TH
JLo surprises Abbey guests with brunch appearance
Jennifer Lopez played bartender during a special appearance at The Abbey Food and Bar on Jan. 14. (photo courtesy of The Abbey Food and Bar)
Jennifer Lopez took The Abbey Food and Bar by storm on Sunday, Jan. 14, delighting guests with an unscheduled appearance to pay tribute to the establishment’s CEO and founder David Cooley, as well as promote the release of her new single “Can’t Get Enough.”She also stepped behind the bar to help mix Delola drinks, her bottled cocktail brand.
Lopez’s appearance occured during The Abbey’s drag brunch. Lopez impersonator Jo Lopez was on the stage when JLo surprised her. After the rapturous crowd’s cheers died down, Lopez presented Cooley with a plaque.
Cooley is stepping down from his post at The Abbey, having recently sold the bar to entrepreneur Tristan Schukraft.
“She was so much fun,” Cooley said. “She is glamorous, gracious and knows how to have a good time.”
“I’m here to celebrate someone who has been so supportive of me and so many other artists, and someone who has given 33 years of sanctuary and ceremony and service to the LGBT community,” Lopez said. “My friend David Cooley … has been out here on the streets for a long time.”
Cooley said that he had known Lopez for years, having once been a backup dancer for her at a party.
“It was nice to have her there and to recognize the lifetime I’ve committed to the community,” Cooley said. “Her agent Kevin [Huvane] and manager Benny [Medina] are close friends of mine. It meant a lot to have them orchestrate the whole appearance for me.”
A barrage of social media posts from attendees followed, and The Abbey posted reels on its Instagram of Lopez greeting fans, addressing the crowd and serving drinks.
“It’s always great to see JLo in West Hollywood [and] at our iconic business, The Abbey, honoring the legacy of David Cooley and all the work he’s done,” Mayor John Erickson said.
While advertisements for The Abbey’s drag brunch teased that it would be an exciting event, Lopez’s appearance was kept under wraps. Dancer Mr. Corkscrew said that management and Lopez’s team kept her in a closed-off area in the back until it was time for her to hit the stage.
“She looked great,” he said. “[And] some dancers got to take selfies with her.”
“When she popped out from behind the curtain, you could feel the electricity throughout The Abbey,” Cooley said. “Part of the magic of The Abbey is that you never know who will be in the neighborhood and stop by.”
Cooley said that when Lopez appeared, “it was a gay gasp heard all over West Hollywood, then the crowd cheered and Jo Lopez screamed.”
