The real-life inspiration for Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Hustlers’ character ‘wasn’t that impressed’ with the movie

Jennifer Lopez is already fielding awards buzz for her portrayal in “Hustlers” of Ramona, a stripper helms a conspiracy to drug men at clubs as a means of getting more cash out of them. The screenplay — including its characters — were based on a real-life story. So how does the woman who inspired J.Lo’s character think J.Lo did? Meh. “I wasn’t really that impressed,” Samantha Barbash recently told Vanity Fair. “I was impressed with Jennifer. She was incredible. Her body looked incredible. She had it down to a T, but it wasn’t factual.” For one thing, Samantha said the “mannerisms” and some of the physical elements Jennifer had in the film were off. “I am nothing like that in person,” she said, adding that Cardi B would have made a better Ramona. “Not taking away from Jennifer,” Samantha said. “But just because Cardi was in the business.” Samantha also took issue with some details about drug use in the screenplay, specifically, that Ramona and Constance Wu’s character Destiny concoct the mix (“there are drug dealers for that”), that Ramona’s daughter is present when they make the drugs (“I’m actually offended by that … that’s attacking my character … I’m a mother,” she says) and that Ramona and the strippers drugged the men. “The majority of the guys were drugging themselves,” Samantha said. “Did I drug anyone? Never in my life. Did I know the girls were doing it? One hundred percent. That’s why I got conspiracy charges.”