What Marc Anthony's Relationship With His & Jennifer Lopez's Kids Is Really Like
Jennifer Lopez completely snubbed her ex-husband, Marc Anthony, on Father's Day 2024. As noted by InStyle, she celebrated the occasion by only sharing a photo of her husband, Ben Affleck, on Instagram Stories and captioning it: "Our Hero." This naturally caused many to wonder if Anthony had any kind of relationship with Emme and Max Muñiz, the twins he shares with the "On The Floor" songstress. It's worth noting that Lopez and Anthony were awarded joint custody of their children in the former couple's 2014 divorce settlement. The agreement detailed that the kids would spend most of their time with their mom, while their dad could have them for a week monthly.
Ultimately, though, Anthony sadly couldn't be a strong enough father figure because of his demanding career. Speaking on CBS' "Sunday Mornings," in 2016, the singer confessed that he regretted how his work had caused him to miss several special moments in his children's lives, admitting, "What I would have done to have been a stay-at-home dad, and, you know, witnessed every second of everything."
He continued, "So it's the one thing that just tugs at me [...] That's the biggest sacrifice. And you sort of start to wonder, was it all worth it?" Meanwhile, during Lopez's 2023 appearance on "Live with Kelly and Mark," she shared that growing up, she preferred her dad over her mom. However, once the pop star saw her kids vying for their own father's attention, she empathized with her mother all too well.
Marc Anthony is supportive of Emme Muñiz's talents
When Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's child, Emme Muñiz — who potentially uses they/them pronouns though it hasn't been confirmed at the time of writing — spoke to Entertainment Tonight in 2020, they had nothing but nice things to say about both of their parents. Emme dubbed their mom a "powerful human being" and felt at a loss for words as they attempted to describe everything that made Lopez so great. The youngster called Anthony "a loving father" and gushed, "He's very funny. He cares about all of us a lot, and he's just a good person."
The "Vivir Mi Vida" singer was similarly supportive after J.Lo shared a video of Emme singing Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You" in 2019. Speaking to iHeartLatino, Anthony acknowledged that he had always wished for Emme to follow in his footsteps and be passionate about music. However, the singer stressed that he only wanted Emme to become a professional singer because they had a true passion for the art and not to gain notoriety.
So, after the video of them singing went viral, he had a conversation with them, which he recalled: "I asked her, 'Emme, why do you like to sing?' and she goes, 'Because it feels good, daddy." Anthony noted, "It's the perfect answer, you know when singing feels good she's just emoting. It was the cutest thing," (via Hello! magazine). While the "Rain Over Me" hitmaker hasn't been quite as vocal about his relationship with his son, Max Muñiz, Lopez did label him a "mini-Marc" in a 2015 Latin Times interview.
Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez worked hard to be amicable co-parents
In March 2023, an insider told RadarOnline that Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez had mutually decided she would be the main caregiver for their two children. However, his wife, Nadia Ferreira, believed their decision prevented her from bonding with Emme and Max Muñiz. So, she urged Anthony to invite the twins over for their summer break. But the singer wasn't too keen on the idea because he thought it might disturb the peace in his strong co-parenting relationship with Lopez. During a 2016 chat with W magazine, the "Play" hitmaker divulged that she initially struggled to co-parent with Anthony because of all the hurt the dissolution of their marriage had caused her. However, she worked to move on from the past for Emme and Max's sake. The exes continue to work hard to ensure that their kids have both of their parents in their lives.
And yet, despite everything, it still seems like Lopez believes that Emme and Max couldn't have a better father figure in their lives than stepdad Ben Affleck. Speaking on "The View," in 2023, she gushed about Affleck's relationship with her kids: "It brings tears to my eyes, he is honestly the best dad I have ever seen." The "Hustlers" star continued, "He's present, and that's all you can ask, for a present, loving dad who shows up every single day, and that's who he is," (via Business Insider). Likewise, Emme and Max's lavish lifestyle is further proof that they are loved by Affleck, Lopez, and Anthony alike.