Prince Harry has quietly stepped up outreach to Hollywood figures in an effort to elevate his charitable profile, including reported overtures to Jennifer Lopez, as competition with his older brother, Prince William, sharpens over celebrity-backed philanthropy, according to people cited in tabloid reporting.
A source speaking to GLOBE Magazine said the Duke of Sussex has been motivated by the Prince of Wales's recent success attracting prominent public figures to his initiatives. "Harry is very competitive and seeing his brother, Prince William, reel in all these big names for his philanthropic efforts has lit a fire under him," the source said.
Since relocating to California after stepping back from royal duties in 2020, Prince Harry has sought to position himself as the family member most connected to Hollywood, the source added. "He's the one in Hollywood and he's saying it ought to be him who gets the biggest names."
The reported outreach includes figures already seen alongside the duke at events, as well as discussions with animal-welfare organizations. But the same source described Lopez as a priority target because of her global profile and a past personal connection. "But no doubt she's the most thrilling prospect for him because he's been very taken with her since they met," the source said.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, dined with Lopez and her then-fiancé Alex Rodriguez in Miami in 2020, shortly after the couple's move to the U.S. According to a source quoted at the time, "Most men are totally captured by her, and Harry is only human."
That encounter is said to have caused tension. A source familiar with the dinner said Meghan Markle "was fuming at the way Harry was drooling over Jennifer," adding that "Meghan left that dinner feeling very jealous." Another person close to the couple later claimed the duke "bragged about hanging with the Jenny from the Block singer" well after the evening ended.
The renewed interest now centers on Prince Harry's signature charitable platform, the Invictus Games, which supports wounded service members and veterans. "If he can land her to make an appearance at an event for the Invictus Games, it would be phenomenal for the organization and a thrill for him, too," a tipster told GLOBE Magazine.
The same source cautioned that any collaboration could revive domestic friction. "There's certainly nothing shady going on but it's hard to imagine that Meghan will be all that pleased about this," the person said.
For now, discretion appears to be the strategy. "Until Harry gets her on board he'll keep it to himself, he's not going to want to rock the boat for no reason," another source said.
