Jennifer Lopez Admits Her Divorce From Marc Anthony Made Her Feel Like A ‘Failure’

Jennifer Lopez recently reflected on how she felt after making the decision to divorce her ex-husband, Marc Anthony.

The “Waiting for Tonight” singer spoke to Oprah Winfrey at Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus event in Los Angeles, which took place on Saturday about her April 2012 divorce from Anthony, per Hollywood Life. Lopez said although she knew it was right for the two to split up, she felt bad that it happened at all.

“When we divorced it was the lowest time in my life. I felt I had failed miserably,” Lopez admitted to Winfrey. “I had to re-examine my whole life … and regroup at that time.”

While she was hurting and navigating through the divorce in a personal way, Lopez said she also had her children to consider. In 2008, Lopez and Anthony welcomed their twins, Max and Emme Muniz. Lopez said the idea of raising her children without being in a relationship with their father was difficult for her to think about.

“I had waited to have kids [until I was] 38 and I had never wanted to not be with the person I had kids with and I felt that I was not going to give my kids what they needed and I just didn’t know what to do,” the superstar added.

Eventually, Lopez says she found ways to heal herself after her divorce. She credits prayer and therapy for helping her cope with what was happening. She also said reading books by author Louise Hays was a great help to her during that period of her life. However, the Puerto Rican multitalented star shared that, while her methods were working, her cultural upbringing was a big factor in why she felt like a failure after leaving Anthony. She explained that she grew up thinking children needed both parents to be physically together for the family dynamic to be successful. Lopez then shared that, for her, other factors were more important.

“I do think [kids] need their mother and their father. But your happiness has to be a part of that,” Lopez said.

Lopez and Anthony first connected in the 1990s but began dating in 2004. Since their marriage ended, the two have seemed to develop a healthy friendship for the sake of their children. Lopez herself moved on a few years after the divorce. She began dating Casper Smart for several years before falling in love with Alex Rodriguez. The two are currently engaged, which Lopez said happened because she took time to “love” herself while she was single.