Spider Woman Jennifer Lopez Focused on Oscar Dreams with Matt Damon’s Support

Jennifer Lopez is cozying up to Matt Damon — despite her split from his bestie Ben Affleck — in a desperate bid to snag a Best Actress statuette at next year’s Academy Awards, say sources.

The unlikely pals got close while working on the flick Kiss of the Spider Woman, which is set to be released in time for the 2026 awards season. And J.Lo apparently believes Matt can use his Hollywood influence to drum up support for her.

“She’s clinging to the friendship with everything she’s got in her drive to win an Oscar,” confirms an insider.

Sources insist this is a “calculated move” by the 55-year-old, who is said to have been “devastated” when she failed to land even a nomi­nation for her acclaimed performance in the 2019 film Hustlers.

Sources say that along with the status of an Oscar win, Jennifer wants to show ex-hubby Ben “he made a mistake” dumping her.

“She doesn’t really want to be spending so much time with Ben’s best bud, but she’s determined to prove she’s a serious actress,” says the insider.

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Damon, 54, has been “playing peacemaker” between J.Lo and Ben, 52, ever since their quickie marriage hit the skids last year, reveals a source. “It’s a delicate balance because Matt is Ben’s business partner and best buddy, but he’s also grown fond of J.Lo and wants to help advance her career,” says the insider. “He thinks she should win an award and he’s going to help by telling everyone he knows how fabulous she is and giving the okay to fund a big-bucks campaign to get her into the Oscar conversation.”

But their sudden friendship isn’t likely to go over well with Ben — or with Matt’s wife, Luciana Barroso, 48, says the insider.

“Jennifer has a reputation for being clingy, and Matt’s wife has never been a fan of hers,” says the insider. “If they get any closer, it’s surely going to become a problem for him at home.”

Although Kiss of the Spider Woman was produced by both Ben and Matt through their company, our source notes Matt’s the one steering it. “It’s not that Jennifer has any designs on Matt romantically, she just sees him as her golden ticket and is being super-needy about it.”