Why Jennifer Lopez Has Mixed Feelings About Being Famous

Singer, actor, and dancer Jennifer Lopez has become a media magnet since stepping onto the scene in the early 1990s. In addition to her decorated career, which she began as a Fly Girl on "In Living Color" from 1991 to 1993, she shot to superstardom in her role as Selena Quintanilla in the late singer's critically acclaimed 1997 biopic. From there, Lopez underwent a stunning transformation as her musical and film career took off, to the point that she was dubbed the world's most powerful celebrity by Forbes in 2012. Although this level of adoration can be flattering and a testament to her success, Lopez has admitted that she has mixed feelings about the fame.

During an interview with Audacy's "The Mother Roundtable," Lopez admitted that she often feels guilty about what her twins, Emme and Max, have to go through as the children of a famous entertainer. "Being judged by people that you don't even know in a way is, I think, really difficult for them to grow up and be themselves," she shared. "They know that there's a lens on them, and that's hard." Unfortunately, this type of celebrity pressure has followed Lopez throughout her career and made her often feel ambivalent about the level of success she's achieved. 

Jennifer Lopez's children were not the only members of her family affected by her large public persona. She has even hinted that the J. Lo craze may have caused some tension and awkwardness with the people she cares for most. In a February 2022 interview with Rolling Stone, Lopez shared that her loved ones no longer knew how to interact with her, confessing, "For them, it was like, 'OK, well, now she's this, and what does that mean? How much do I expect? How much do I ask for, and how much do I not?' There's confusion. There's resentment and very mixed, complicated, adult feelings."

The "My Love Don't Cost A Thing" singer didn't elaborate on which family members have struggled the most with or felt any bitterness about her fame. However, Lopez has always appeared close with her mother, Guadalupe Rodríguez, and sisters Lynda and Leslie Lopez, who affectionately told Oprah Winfrey in 2002, "She's a famous movie star to all of you, but not to me. She's still my sister. Still my little pain in the butt sister."

Jennifer Lopez may feel overwhelmed with her fame at times, though she remains thankful for the opportunities it has afforded her. In fact, despite experiencing depression while working on her 1999 debut album, "On the 6," Lopez had a revelation about how far she'd come. This occurred mainly while writing the track "Feeling So Good," which helped her break free of her mental anguish. As the told The L.A. Times in 1999, "I woke up, and I go, 'What the hell are you talking about? This is what you always wanted; you get to do what you want, you're the luckiest girl in the world.'"

In addition to music, meditation has also been a tool that has helped calm Lopez when she feels anxious about her fame. This has likely been helpful in her current marriage to Ben Affleck, considering that Lopez says they both have PTSD stemming from the media circus surrounding their first time dating. Thankfully, she has not allowed the chaotic Hollywood life to keep her down.