Jennifer Lopez Shares How She Discussed Her and Ben Affleck’s Divorce With Twins Emme and Max

Jennifer Lopez opened up about how she broke the news of her divorce from Ben Affleck with her twins, Emme and Max.

“I had a really tough year. Unexpected things happened. And so, I read a lot of books. I did a lot of self-introspection,” the singer, 55, said in an interview with El País published on Wednesday, May 7. “I did meditation. I prayed a lot. I wanted to improve my relationship with God. I wanted to kind of really solidify the family unit that is me and my two children, my twins.”

Lopez shares Emme and Max, both 17, with ex-husband Marc Anthony. When Lopez ultimately filed for divorce from Affleck, 52, in August 2024, she sat down with her kids to talk about the changing dynamic in their family.

“I said, ‘I promise you, this is a difficult time, but you’re going to see that I’ll come out the other side stronger and better.’ I promised them that and I did it,” she explained. “And they feel it now. That gives me a great sense of peace in my life.”

Lopez added that she put in a lot of effort to focus on improving her and her family’s wellbeing.

“I read a lot of books on childhood, marriage, relationships, different styles of love, the brain, science … And over the years, I’ve done individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy. I’ve had everything, I’m always kind of searching,” she recalled. “I think it’s all about learning about yourself. It’s all about knowing yourself. You have to be ready for that. And you have to want it. And, even when you want it, it’s hard to change certain things. But you can.”

Lopez learned that while everyone experiences rough patches, the real lessons in life come from how a person perseveres.

“Everybody goes through hard times in their life. And it’s what you do in those moments that really does define you,” she reflected. “Not the relationship, not the man: what defines you is what you’re doing with the experiences that you’re faced with. I take those experiences — whether they’re good or bad — and I bind them.”

Now, Lopez is “happier” with how far she’s come when having tough conversations with her children.

“I’m proud of myself for that and I’m proud that I was able to navigate my children through difficult times, that they’re stronger and better because of it” she said, explaining she was ready to get back on tour. “So, it’s a great time to go out there and dance and sing and have a good time with everybody.”

When Lopez and Affleck first started having marital issues, the singer canceled her This Is Me Live tour to focus on her family. Now Lopez finds herself in a better headspace and is ready to see her fans again.

“I only want to go on tour when we’re going to celebrate,” she teased. “We’re going to have a good time.”

Lopez and Affleck finalized their divorce earlier this year, with a judge signing off on the paperwork in February.