Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez hit up strip clubs for Hustlers research

[White Ninja]

Jennifer Lopez Spent Thousands Hitting Up Strip Clubs In Preparation Her Role In Upcoming Movie Hustlers, Paying The Dancers To Spill The Secrets Of Their Trade.

The Wedding Planner star transforms herself into exotic dancer Ramona for the new film, about a group of former adult entertainers who turn the tables on their rich Wall Street clients.

Hustlers is based on a real-life revenge drama chronicled in a 2015 New York magazine article, written by journalist Jessica Pressler, which detailed the antics of the ambitious Big Apple dancers in the late 2000s, in the wake of the financial crisis.

Jennifer decided she needed to turn to professionals to learn all about the ins and outs of the business, so she and her fiance Alex Rodriguez became strip club regulars as the 49 year old prepped for the part.

A-Rod reveals he didn't want to miss out on the New York City visits so he persuaded J.Lo to hold off on her research outings until he returned from a trip to Los Angeles.

"She says, 'Baby, I'm going to the strip club,'" he recalled on New York radio show The Breakfast Club. "I said, 'WHOA!! I'll be there on Thursday. We can go Thursday and Friday.' I mean, it's part of due diligence, right?"

Alex was also more than happy to share his extensive knowledge about the world of strippers with Jennifer.

"She read and read and read (about strippers)... I said, 'Baby, stop reading and just ask me. I got the info!'" he laughed, admitting he almost knew "too much" about the business, which proved to be "kind of scary".

The stars ended up dropping thousands of dollars during the strip club visits, but they didn't pay for anything kinky - it was all just to talk.

"We sat down with the girls, and we literally just interrogate them, ask them questions," Alex explained. "Then, we would hit 'em up with $400 or $500 or $600. We weren't there for dancing, we were literally there for work."

Hustlers, which co-stars Cardi B, Constance Wu, Julia Stiles, and Riverdale's Lili Reinhart, opens in theatres in September (19).