Jennifer Love Hewitt, renowned for her roles in film and television spanning decades, recently opened up about a poignant moment during the filming of Enrique Iglesias’ music video for “Hero.”
In a candid conversation with Entertainment Tonight, the 45-year-old actress reminisced about her diverse career, which included iconic appearances in projects like Sister Act 2, Party of Five, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, as well as music video roles.
One such role was in Iglesias’ “Hero” music video in 2001. However, the atmosphere on set turned somber following the tragic death of R&B sensation Aaliyah.
Aaliyah’s untimely passing in a plane crash on August 25, 2001, sent shockwaves through the music industry. Hewitt, who played Iglesias’ love interest in the “Hero” video, revealed that Iglesias was devastated by the loss of his close friend, Aaliyah.
“The craziest thing about that video shoot that I don’t know if people know is that Enrique and Aaliyah were close friends,” Hewitt shared with ET. “The night that we filmed that video was the night that she passed.”
During the filming, Iglesias had to portray emotional scenes, and according to Hewitt, his tears were genuine.
“Enrique had to film all of his crying stuff in the video… and he was really crying because she had passed. We all did a big prayer for her at the end of the video and he kind of dedicated it to her. I just remember that being really intense,” she recalled.
While few details about Iglesias and Aaliyah’s friendship are available publicly, the depth of their bond was evident in Iglesias’ emotional response to her passing.
Despite the lack of explicit statements from Iglesias about their relationship, a snapshot from Iglesias’ album release party in 1999 featuring Aaliyah and her cousin Jomo Hankerson serves as a poignant reminder of their connection.
