Jennifer Lopez on Feb. 10, 2024, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.Photo:Darren Gerrish/Getty
Darren Gerrish/Getty
Jennifer Lopezis opening up about her personal journey.
In a new conversation withInterviewmagazinepublished Wednesday, Oct. 9, the star spoke with comedianNikki Glaserabout a range of meaningful topics, including her upcoming filmUnstoppableand what she has learned while navigating a difficult, but ultimately illuminating, year.
“It’s a lifelong process,” said Lopez, 55, of her ongoing quest for self-understanding and discovery through life’s ups and downs during the interview, which was conducted Sept, 10. “I think that’s what I love about life: that there’s no arrival point. There’s only getting better and growing if you want to. It’s either growing or dying, and I don’t want to do the dying part.”
“And yeah, there’s times when I thought I figured it out, and then life goes, ‘Let’s send you another thing and see if you fall for it. Let’s see if you really have learned that lesson.’ And I hadn’t,” she continued.
As for her dating life, Lopez, whofiled for divorcefromBen Affleckon Aug. 20, added, “Now I’m excited, when you say you’re just going to be on your own. Yes, I’m not looking for anybody, because everything that I’ve done over the past 25, 30 years, being in these different challenging situations, what can I f—ing do when it’s just me flying on my own … what if I’m just free?”
Jennifer Lopez in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Feb. 10, 2024; Ben Affleck in Austin, Texas, on March 18, 2023.Darren Gerrish/Getty; Gary Miller/WireImage
Darren Gerrish/Getty; Gary Miller/WireImage
One very bright spot and source of pride for the actress-singer-producer was sharing her new movieUnstoppablelast month at theToronto International Film Festival, where the filmearned a standing ovation from the crowd.
“I felt really good,” she said of attending the high-profile premiere at TIFF on Sept. 7. “The movie’s really beautiful … I got to see it all done for the first time with the audience in Toronto, and people loved it and really responded to the emotion of the movie. It’s one of those great inspirational stories that I think the world needs right now.”
During the wide-ranging interview with Glaser, 40, Lopez also touched more on learning how to“be good on your own.”
She acknowledged to Glaser she thought she previously understood that, but came to realize she had some more work to do:“The work is figuring yourself out. It’s looking back at the feelings underneath and the belief systems that we have about ourselves that make us make certain choices and create certain patterns in our life.”
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Jennifer Lopez at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 6, 2024.Cindy Ord/Getty
Cindy Ord/Getty
“And so, when you get to a point where you think that you’ve learned the lessons, and then it blows up in your face again, you realize, ‘Okay, I haven’t, so what is it that I need to look at right now?’ I would say, never stop looking inward, because it’s so easy to blame everybody else,” Lopez continued.
She added, “But you have to be healthy. You have to be complete, if you want something that’s more complete. You have to be good on your own. I thought I learned that, but I didn’t. And then, this summer, I had to be like, ‘I need to go off and be on my own. I want to prove to myself that I can do that.’ "
When Glaser asked if that was hard, Lopez didn’t miss a beat. “It was “f—ing hard!”she allowed.
Jennifer Lopez at the Met Gala in New York City on May 6, 2024.Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
During the summer, Lopezspent a stretch of time in the Hamptonswith friends and family, while Affleck remained in Los Angeles.
Even after Lopez filed for divorce, the two have seemingly remained on amicable terms. On Sept. 14, theyreunited for a friendly lunchwith four of their five kids: Lopez’s 16-year-old twinsMax and Emme, and Affleck’s childrenSeraphina, 15, andSamuel, 12.
Lopez shares her twins with ex-husbandMarc Anthony, while theOscarwinner shares Seraphina, Samuel andViolet, 18, with ex-wifeJennifer Garner.
“They want to show the kids that things are amicable,” a source close to the actress previously told PEOPLE. “They want to stay friendly. There’s still a lot of love.”
They will “continue to focus on the kids” but “are still moving forward with the divorce,” the insider told PEOPLE.
Unstoppablewill be in theaters beginning Dec. 6.
source: people.com