- distance ▁relationship ▁with ▁a ▁hand some ▁g ym ▁owner ▁named ▁Brad ▁from ▁Santa ▁Mon ica , ▁California . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁Ben ▁leaves ▁the ▁newspaper ▁for ▁a ▁television ▁position , ▁leaving ▁J em ima ▁alone ▁with ▁a ▁broken ▁heart . ▁ ▁To ▁get ▁over ▁Ben , ▁J em ima ▁throws ▁herself ▁into ▁her ▁online ▁relationship ▁with ▁Brad ▁and ▁re - in vent s ▁herself ▁as ▁" J J ", ▁an ▁attract ive ▁ ▁news reader . ▁Ger ald ine ▁fur thers ▁the ▁false ▁identity ▁by ▁ ▁putting ▁J em ima ' s ▁face ▁on ▁a ▁photo ▁of ▁a ▁fit ▁magazine ▁model . ▁After ▁seeing ▁the ▁doctor ed ▁photo , ▁Brad ▁falls ▁head ▁over ▁he els ▁for ▁" J J " ▁and ▁inv ites ▁J em ima ▁to ▁visit ▁him . ▁J em ima ▁imp uls ively ▁accepts ▁the ▁inv itation ▁and ▁finds ▁herself ▁forced ▁to ▁lose ▁almost ▁one ▁hundred ▁pounds ▁( 7 ▁stone ) ▁in ▁three ▁months ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁match ▁the ▁image ▁of ▁" J J ." ▁As ▁J em ima ▁sl ims ▁down , ▁Ger ald ine ▁takes ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁her ▁fair y ▁god m other , ▁bu ying ▁J em ima ▁a ▁whole ▁new ▁w ard ro be , ▁color ing ▁her ▁hair , ▁and ▁teaching ▁her ▁how ▁to ▁use ▁make - up . ▁ ▁Having ▁lost ▁the ▁weight , ▁J em ima ▁f lies ▁to ▁California ▁and ▁meets ▁Brad , ▁who ▁takes ▁her ▁to ▁his ▁impress ive ▁home . ▁So on , ▁however , ▁she