Watching your children prepare for the next chapter of their lives is an emotional milestone for any parent, and for Jennifer Lopez, it's also a reminder of how far she's come.
Speaking on the SmartLess podcast, the singer and actress became emotional while reflecting on her 18-year-old twins, Emme and Max, who have both been accepted into their chosen universities with scholarships.
"It's crazy. And now I can really look at my life, appreciate it for what it is and what I've created for myself and be really happy," Lopez shared.
Proud of her children's achievements, the 56-year-old admitted she also took a moment to acknowledge her own journey as a mother.
"Both my kids got into all their colleges and they both got scholarships and they're going where they want to go," she said.
"I was like, 'You did that all by yourself.' That's great. Like, 'You had very little help,' you know?"
While Lopez did not elaborate further, her remarks appeared to reference her experience co-parenting with former husband Marc Anthony, whom she was married to from 2004 until their divorce in 2014.
The comments come weeks after Anthony was reportedly absent from both Emme's and Max's high school graduation ceremonies. Lopez attended Emme's graduation alongside her former husband Ben Affleck's son, Samuel, while Emme also introduced a new name, Oskar Muñiz, during the ceremony.
Earlier this year, Lopez also spoke candidly about the emotional toll of her divorce from Anthony, describing it as one of the most difficult periods of her life.
During her Las Vegas residency, she admitted she almost gave up while navigating life as a single mother to twins who were just three years old at the time.
"After my third divorce, that's when I really started getting good at it," she joked before quickly adding,"Seriously, that's not funny. It was actually a really tough time."
Lopez recalled seeking guidance from late motivational author Louise Hay, whose advice stayed with her long after.
"She said to me, 'Jennifer, you're a dancer, right?' I said, 'Yes, I am.' She asked, 'When you're learning a dance and you get the steps wrong, what do you do?' I said, 'I just keep going until I get the steps right.' And she said, 'That's right, Jennifer. Always keep dancing.'"
Lopez and Anthony welcomed twins Emme and Max in February 2008 before ending their decade-long marriage six years later.
The actress has since been married to Ben Affleck, with the pair divorcing in 2025. She is currently single.
Anthony, meanwhile, has been married to model Nadia Ferreira since 2023. The couple are expecting their second child together, which will be Anthony's eighth child.