New York, March 1-3 – We were thrilled to receive a free DVD when Jennifer Lopez appeared at a Manhattan Virgin Records store to promote her new recording, Rebirth. Quaking with excitement, we played it the minute we got home, but couldn’t take it for more than 30 seconds. Only this time, it wasn’t J. Lo’s performance that induced nausea, but scenes of furry little creatures being bludgeoned, blood flying everywhere. This charming bit of film magic was the handiwork of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who have targeted Lopez as the latest animal cruelty queen for wearing fur and using it prominently in her new clothing line called Sweetface. J. Lo apparently hasn’t gotten PETA’s memos; she wore a fur-trimmed cape to this delightful rendezvous.

The in-store appearance was only one stop on Lopez’s publicity blitz for the new album. She also performed for the bleary-eyed early risers at the Today Show in Rockefeller Center; popped in to MTV’s Total Request Live and capped Thursday night at the Hammerstein Ballroom for Hot 97’s Full Frontal Hip Hop concert, where Omarion, Fabolous and Fantasia also appeared.

PETA photo by Joy E. Scheller