Jennifer Lopezand boyfriend Alex Rodriguez might consistently prove time and again that they’re the definition of couple goals, but Lopez’s love life hasn’t always been quite this smooth sailing.
In an interview withHarper’s Bazaarfor their February cover — which PEOPLE can exclusively reveal — theSecond Actstar reflects on reaching a point now where she’s in a happy and successful relationship.
“For me, the relationship journey has been very up and down,” Lopez, 49, said. She has been married three times, most recently withMarc Anthony, with whom she shares 10-year-old twins,Emme and Max.
“But it didn’t have to do with anybody else but me — it was about me figuring out me,” she continued. “Until you learn to love yourself, you can’t completely love [someone else] in a way that is pure and true. Once you do that, you can have relationships that are based on love and respect, that are supportive and nourishing. There’s an evolution there that had to happen for me. I feel like I’m in a better place now.”
Camilla Akrans
Lopez — who also went through high-profile break-ups fromSean “Diddy” Combs,Ben AffleckandCasper Smartfrom the late 1990s to early 2000s — met former MLB star Rodriguez, 43, in 2017. While the pair’sblended family holidaysandextravagant vacationshave been well-documented, Lopez said living life in the public eye isn’t always easy.
Jennifer Lopez‘sHarper’s Bazaarcover.Camilla Akrans
“You’re trying to do your best and people are putting you down, or trying to make believe you’re not a nice person, or you’re a diva,” she explained. “I’m always like, ‘Who are you talking about?'”
Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez.Kevin Mazur/Getty
From early on in her career, Lopez said she felt “confined” as people wanted to put her “in a box.” As someone who has taken on the roles of singer, actress, dancer and designer throughout the years, Lopez said she’s proud of her long-standing and versatile career in Hollywood.
Jennifer Lopez forHarper’s Bazaar.Camilla Akrans
Lopez said that while she does gets tired a lot, she never thinks, “I don’t want to do this.”
“I really feel like I have a lot left that I want to do,” she said. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get to a point where I’ll be satisfied and go, ‘I did it. All of it. I’m done. I got nothing else to say.’ I hope that day never comes.”
In December, Lopezreleased the music videofor “Limitless,” a song featured in her filmSecond Act,in which she can be seen sharing the spotlight with her daughter, Emme, who she said shares her natural talent.
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“I don’t know if she’ll follow in my footsteps, but she definitely has the genes,” Lopez said. “She’s a natural. Some people, you put them out there and you can just tell. She’s a little me.”
source: people.com
