Jennifer Lopez has raised eyebrows by defending strippers that drug men and steal their money.

The 50-year-old singing, dancing and acting triple threat is one of the stars of gritty new stripper comedy-drama Hustlers.

The movie is based on the real-life story of a group of New York strippers who turned to crime after their strip joint hit financial problems - drugging men with ketamine and MDMA, before stealing thousands of dollars from them and hoping to get away with it by thinking no man would report a crime where he had to admit being fleeced by a stripper.

The film also stars stripper-turned-rapper Cardi B who sparked outrage when she was caught on video bragging about her own past crimes where she would drug men and steal their money and possessions once they were passed out (for which she has thus far evaded being brought to justice).

JLo attended the world premiere of Hustlers at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday

As the movie had it’s worldwide premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday, J-Lo hinted that she would side with the strippers - comparing their seedy crimes to major financial crimes committed by men.

"For me, it’s just putting a spotlight on how women and what they do and how their choices are so much more harshly judged on what men do when they are stealing or robbing people blind and then these girls do the same thing,” she told the Toronto Sun.

"They do it on a big corporate level, and these girls are doing it on a small, street level. And they get off, and they go to jail. It’s an interesting look at life and people and what they do when they’re desperate," she argued.

J-Lo also revealed she struggled to master the art of the pole dance during the production of the movie - despite wowing fans the world over with her indisputable dance skills.

“You think it would [be easy], being a dancer, but it really doesn’t. It’s a totally different [thing],” she said.

“I mean yes, I’m aware of my body, I move well, but it did not prepare me for the acrobatics, the strength that it would take to do what I had to do. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do for a role. And it really hurt!” she said.

Despite Jennifer's shock sympathetic views of women drugging men to steal their money, her performance in the movie has sparked Oscars buzz thanks to her breathtaking turn.

"Halfway through the movie I started thinking 'this is shockingly good'," Canada's Entertainment Tonight reporter Graeme O’Neil declared on Twitter.

"It’s @JLo’s best movie since #OutOfSight and they could mount a Best Supporting Actress campaign for her. It’s fantastic," he continued - while others that attended the Tornoto screening also tweeted their belief Jenny's performance was Oscar worthy.