Jennifer Lopez Shares What She's Learned After Becoming "a Single Mom"

"Am I enough for them?"

Jennifer Lopez wears a green bow in her hair while wearing a low-cut V-neck green dress adorned with flowers
(Image credit: Getty Images/Marc Piasecki/WireImage)

2024 has been an eventful year for Jennifer Lopez. Now, the superstar is opening up about what it's like being a single mother to her 16-year-old twins, Max and Emme.

In August, Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck following months of relationship speculation. Having blended their families while married, Affleck and Lopez have been spotted meeting up on multiple occasions since their split. However, Lopez appears to have shifted her focus from romance to work and family since breaking up with Affleck.

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Lopez opened up about playing the mother of NCAA championship-winning athlete Anthony Robles in the movie Unstoppable.

"I've been a single mom at times in my life, and [I’ve asked], 'Am I enough for them?'" the Marry Me star told the outlet. "And the truth is, all you need is really one good parent to love you."

Lopez reflected on how she brought her own experiences to the movie role, saying, "You hear it in Anthony's voice, and look what he's been able to accomplish." She continued, "That's what the movie gave me: You are enough."

Lopez co-parents twins Max and Emme with their father, her ex-husband Marc Anthony.

Discussing the dysfunctional family dynamic she portrayed as Robles' mother Judy in Unstoppable, Lopez explained, "There was a lot about her that I understood."

Lopez also talked about exploring Judy's toxic relationship with husband Rick (played by Bobby Cannavale), saying, "There were different sides to him that the kids didn't see, that only Judy saw. With those types of people, there's a part of them that fools you into thinking that they care about you and that they truly love you—and it's really about their damage that they're putting onto you."

Jennifer Lopez at the "Wicked" Los Angeles Premiere at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on November 9, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Jennifer Lopez attends the Wicked premiere in Los Angeles on Nov. 9, 2024.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"There was a lot going on with the two of them that was dysfunctional and unhealthy, but she loved him and wanted him to be there," Lopez told the publication. "He was the father of four of her children. As angry and upset as she could be at him, she could also welcome him back in a second, like she did in the movie, which was heartbreaking."

Juggling a hectic career alongside her home life can't always be easy for Lopez. In an interview with Marie Claire earlier this year, the actress stressed the importance of self-care, especially during busy and difficult periods. "My self-care strategy is really about keeping my routine consistent even during the busiest times of my life." She continued, "Especially during the busiest times of my life, when I’m juggling work with all the personal things that I have to do on top of extra personal things, finding moments to relax and recharge is really important."

Amy Mackelden
Contributing Editor

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.