Jennifer Lopez has revealed that while navigating life as a single mother following her divorce from Marc Anthony, she questioned the lack of twins Max and Emme in their lives.
The “On the Floor” songstress’ eye-opening conversation with her now 17-year-old kids happened when she was able to be more present while “staying at home” during the coronavirus pandemic, she said on Wednesday’s episode of “The Howard Stern Show.”
“They talked to me and said, ‘You’re not a normal mom. You’re not here every day. You don’t drop off and pick up kids like other moms do,'” she recalled, sharing that her children were around 10 years old.
“Then I realized how much they needed me,” Lopez, 56, added.
When the Kiss of the Spider-Woman star split from Anthony in 2011 after seven years of marriage, she explained that she believed caring for the children was “all[her]responsibility” and that up until that point, she had been “over-compulsive.”
“They were used to me working,” she continued, explaining that she had a lot of help from loved ones and a nanny to raise the twins.
“When the pandemic happened, I think I had to stay home (and) I realized I needed to be home more with them all the time,” Lopez said.
“That’s when I realized how much they needed me. It wasn’t just about me giving them a great life. It was about me always being there for them.”
The “Selena” star called her conversations with Emme and Max a “wake-up call,” saying she learned how to turn down certain projects and now has “the best relationships” with them.
Lopez is often seen out and about with her children, whether it’s to dinners, Broadway shows, or red carpets.
The hitmaker and Anthony, 57, started dating in September 2003 and tied the knot in June the following year.
The exes welcomed their children in 2008, but announced their separation three years later in a statement to People.
They wrote in July 2011: “This was a very difficult decision. We have reached an amicable conclusion on all matters. This is a difficult time for everyone involved and we appreciate respect for our privacy at this time.”
Anthony rarely goes out with Max and Emme, but he gave some insight into their relationship in an interview with E! News in March, “If I’ve learned anything after all these years, it’s that whatever they want, it doesn’t matter what they say.”
The “Vivir Mi Vida” singer also passionately said that she has a “wonderful family.”
The “On the Floor” songstress said she believes raising the twins is entirely her responsibility. Instagram/jlo
Besides Max and Emme, Anthony is also the father of Ariana Muniz, 31, and Chase Muniz, 28, with ex Debbie Rosado, and Cristian Muniz, 24, and Ryan Muniz, 22, with ex Dayanara Torres.
He also has a two-year-old son, Marco, with his wife Nadia Ferreira, whom he married in 2023.
Meanwhile, Lopez remarried Ben Affleck in 2022, but her Gigli co-stars claimed they called it quits after two years.
