Biography
Jennifer was born on July 24, 1970 in the Castle Hill section of
the Bronx. Her father, David, was a computer technician. Her
mother, Guadalupe, taught kindergarten. Jennifer is the middle of
three daughters. Her elder sister, Leslie, is a housewife who sings
opera. Her younger sister, Lynda, is a dj on New York's WKTU, a VH1
vj., and a morning news show correspondent on New York's Channel
11. Jennifer's parents were born in Puerto Rico, but did not meet
until both came to America. Her mother's parents were Europeans who
settled in Puerto Rico. She says that it was her parents' work
ethic that made a difference in her life. Jennifer took singing and
dancing lessons from age 5. She attended 12 years of Catholic
school, including an all-girl high school. She played softball and
tennis in high school and was a gymnast. After high school, she
briefly worked in a law office. During this time, she continued
dance classes at night. At 18, she left home because her mother was
scared by her decision to pursue show business. With casting on "In
Living Color" in 1990, she moved to L.A., but initially hated it.
Finally her boy friend, David Cruz, moved to be with her there and
she learned to accept her new environment. David stayed with her
for 4 years. Her career took off from her "Living Color" stint and
reached new peaks with her portrayal of slain Latino singer
"Selena" in 1997.
Biography courtesy of the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com).
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