J.Lo lands top spot on Forbes celebrity list

Wasn't she on the skids only a few years back? All it took was a judging gig on "American Idol" to fire up the comeback that had Lopez earning $52 million over the past 12 months - not to mention tons of mentions in the press and on social media. Now, there are reports that Lopez wants out of "American Idol." From Forbes:

It didn't hurt that she also split from her husband, Marc Anthony. Suddenly a single mother, Lopez lapped up the media attention and scored lucrative endorsement deals with companies like L'Oreal and Gillette. She now has a line of clothing at Kohl's, a top-selling fragrance and she was able to secure a nice bump--to $20 million-on her Idol salary for a second season. With 6.6 million followers on Twitter and 12 million fans on Facebook, she's also proved a master of social media. Lopez unseats Lady Gaga, who topped the list last year. The pop star slides to fifth place this time around with $52 million in earnings, down from $90 million last year (Gaga didn't tour much in the last 12 months).

In second place on this year's list is Oprah Winfrey, who had been unseated for the top spot last year. Despite the troubles with her cable channel, Winfrey made more money last year - $165 million - than anyone else on the list. Keep in mind that the rankings are based on factors besides earnings (press coverage, for example). Also, Forbes includes all sorts of celebrities, not just those from entertainment.