Jennifer Lopez has offered a striking new perspective on her past marriages and divorces, revealing she believes she has never been truly loved by her former partners.
During a recent appearance on SiriusXM’s Howard Stern Show on Wednesday, October 15, the 56-year-old singer was directly asked if she felt she had been genuinely loved. After a brief pause, Lopez candidly responded, “No.”
Lopez elaborated that her realization was not about her own worthiness, but rather her ex-husbands’ “incapacity” to provide that kind of love. She stated they “don’t have it inside.”
She acknowledged that her former partners gave her everything they could, including "all the rings, all the things I could ever wish for. The houses, the rings, the marriage. Everything.”
Lopez attributed much of her marital unease to a lack of self-love on her part. This understanding followed her divorce from actor Ben Affleck, finalized in January after less than three years of marriage.
She described that recent split as “the best thing that could have happened to me.” It spurred a profound personal journey for Lopez, who sought help from various professionals.
Her extensive support system included a religious coach, a general therapist, a couple’s therapist, an individual therapist, and an addiction coach. She was determined to “figure this sh*t out even if it costs me my life.”
This intense period led to a powerful realization: "the essence is you; it’s nobody else."
Lopez had shared similar sentiments earlier, particularly while promoting her film Kiss of the Spider Woman. She reflected on the challenging yet transformative experience of filming.
During a September 28 appearance on CBS Sunday Morning, Lopez noted that being on set was joyful, but home life was "nothing great."
She concluded that the experience "changed me. It helped me grow in the way I needed to…to be more self-aware. I’m a different person than I was last year.”
Despite their divorce, Lopez and Affleck, 53, maintain an amicable relationship. Affleck attended the New York City premiere of Kiss of the Spider Woman on October 6.
His production company, Artists Equity, produced the project. Affleck praised Lopez to E! News on the red carpet, calling her "incredible" in the film.
He highlighted the immense difficulty of her role, which required singing, dancing, acting, and maintaining multiple emotional tones. Affleck called it "the maximum level of difficulty for a performer.”
Beyond Affleck, Lopez has had three other marriages. She married producer Ojani Noa in 1997, divorcing 11 months later.
After dating Sean “Diddy” Combs, she married dancer Cris Judd in 2001, with their divorce finalized in 2003.
Lopez then married singer Marc Anthony in 2004. They welcomed twins Max and Emme four years later before separating in 2011 and divorcing in 2014.
Lopez speaks of her marriage to Anthony with great respect, emphasizing their continued commitment to co-parenting their children.
In a May 2016 interview with W Magazine, Lopez explained the difficulty of finding forgiveness after their marriage ended.
She stated it "wasn’t the dream I had hoped for." While it would have been easier to foster resentment, she recognized Anthony as the father of her children.
She concluded: “So I have to work to make things right. And that’s, by far, the hardest work I do.”