Why Jennifer Lopez's Character in 'Unstoppable' Donated Blood

WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Unstoppable.

Jennifer Lopez's character Judy Robles donates her blood consecutively in the 2024 sports biopic Unstoppable for one key reason. The film chronicles the remarkable true story of Anthony Robles, who faced obstacles and challenges both on and off the wrestling mat before becoming the 2011 NCAA wrestling champion. Directed by Oscar-winning editor William Goldenberg in his feature film directorial debut, Unstoppable is based on Robles' 2012 book Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion.

Emmy winner Jharrel Jerome leads an outstanding Unstoppable cast including Lopez, Michael Peña, Don Cheadle, and Bobby Cannavale. Unstoppable has received mostly positive reviews, earning a Rotten Tomatoes critic score of 74%. Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and the real-life Anthony Robles produced the film. Robles also appears in the film as his own double in certain scenes. Unstoppable became available to stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on January 16, 2025. At the end of Unstoppable, Anthony celebrates his victory with Judy, who is in many ways his personal champion.

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Judy Robles Continuously Donated Her Blood For Money In Unstoppable

The scene exemplifies the sacrifices Judy made after Rich abandoned her

After Judy's husband Rich Robles abandons his family in Unstoppable, Judy is left in a desperate position to keep food on the table for Anthony and her other kids. Because of this, Judy goes to different blood donation centers so she can use the money from donating blood to support her family, likely for bills, mortgage payments, and groceries. Since Judy went to different locations to donate her blood, it wasn't flagged by the American Red Cross, an organization that does not allow people to donate unsafe amounts of blood in a limited time window.

While it's uncommon to receive payments for blood donations, there are certain programs, such as the Red Cross Specialized Donor Program, that do offer monetary compensation for qualified donors. Donating plasma commonly offers compensation, which could be what Judy was doing. Unstoppable doesn't get into the specifics of Judy's blood donation money-making operation but doesn't need to. The scene only goes to show how financially constrained Judy was after Rich (whose real name is Ron) abandoned her. It also proves how resilient and determined Judy was in supporting her family.

Judy's Blood Donation Shows How Desperately She Needed To Support Her Family

She was not trying to take her own life through excessive blood donations

While it may appear that Judy was trying to take her own life by donating unsafe amounts of blood in a limited period of time, it was truly for money-making purposes. As she explains to Anthony after he discovers her in line at a donation center, the family needs the money now that Rich is out of the picture. Judy found a fast and easy way to earn money to support her family and went through with it even knowing how dangerous it was to her health. Considering the issues surrounding Rich and the mortgage problem in Unstoppable, Judy needed the cash and would never abandon her family like Rich did.

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My list of must-try jean trends for 2026 is growing; it currently includes all the silhouettes one denim expert revealed to me as the must-watch of the year (save for baggy jeans, because I’ve been wearing those for years). That said, one style that didn’t land on said aforementioned list, but is clearly due for big, big things this year, is flare jeans. With a growing list of celebrity fans that includes Meghan Markle, Jennifer Lopez, Reese Witherspoon, Cindy Crawford, Kendrick Lamar (you know that moment), and, of course, Amal Clooney, there’s no denying the retro denim style that was popular in the early aughts is back—and bigger than ever.

The fact that Clooney wore flared jeans is noteworthy in and of itself. The human rights lawyer is known for her refined dressing approach, regularly opting for billowy trousers, trendy boho blouses, and comfy sweater dresses—all staples that read elegant and timeless. So, when I spotted her earlier this year in the laid-back blues while out to dinner with hubby George Clooney, I knew I had to write about it. Of course, the fact that she wore flare jeans, the style countless celebs have worn the last few weeks, is noteworthy, too, as it further cements the style’s ‘It’ status for 2026. 

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Clooney opted for a pair of medium-wash jeans with subtle fading (another Y2K reference, IMO). Her blues had an ultra-high waist—so high, in fact, that they appeared to hit at the ribcage. It’s the complete opposite of the controversial low-rise denim, so it’s a possible sign that the high-high waist is coming back, too. Not to mention, Clooney’s jeans had a slightly oversized fit from the thighs to the ankles, but it’s that flared hem that has all my attention; it’s taking me back to my middle school days when I’d wear my True Religion flares every single day. (No joke.)

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It’s undeniable that Clooney’s jeans have that nostalgic flair (ahem, flare, wink, wink), but it’s also undeniable that celebs are clamoring to the style because it’s incredibly flattering. The blues basically act like an optical illusion, making legs look super long, especially when paired with a style that has an extra-long hemline and sky-high platforms á la Lopez; the singer is 5-feet-5-inches, but don’t you agree with me that she looks way taller in these jeans? Yeah, that’s thanks to the flares. The flare hem and longer inseams help create the look of legs for days, but add in a high-waisted cut, platform heels, and a crop top, and you’ll fool people into thinking you’re inches taller. 

Leg-elongating factor aside, there’s no denying that flares are fun and nostalgia-inducing—and that’s exactly what I need right now. So, shop some more fun, funky flares from Frame, NYDJ, and Mavi below.

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Gap High Rise ‘70s Flare Jeans

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