Jennifer Lopez Does Vanity Fair Post-Split: Divorce Was the Right Thing

“I love myself enough to walk away,” Jennifer Lopez says of her divorce from Marc Anthony in the first interview since the announcement, to Vanity Fair. In the latest issue of the mag, the singer opens up about marriage, split, music and the ever-present rumors of being a diva.

This is the first interview Lopez gives since she and Marc confirmed they were getting a divorce after 7 years and two beautiful children together.

Obviously, she tries not to sound like she’s bashing her ex while, at the same time, making a clear point that the marriage was simply not working anymore and divorce was the only option.

The first years of being Marc’s wife were the easiest and most pleasant, Jennifer says. She didn’t work as much and could make compromises to be with her husband all the time.

Then, the twins came and, afterwards, more and more job offers, including a successful stint on American Idol and, not in the least less important, her music comeback with a brand new album.

She and Marc started to fight constantly in whatever little time they still spent together. Soon, they realized their marriage was over – and Lopez mustered the courage to simply get up and leave.

“It’s not that I didn’t love myself before. Sometimes we don’t realize that we are compromising ourselves,” she says.

“To understand that a person is not good for you, or that that person is not treating you in the right way, or that he is not doing the right thing for himself – if I stay, then I am not doing the right thing for me,” the singer adds.

“I love myself enough to walk away from that now. Sometimes it doesn’t work – and that’s sad. But I remain an eternal optimist about love. I believe in love,” Lopez explains.

There’s no bad blood between herself and Marc, and he will always remain a very important part of her life, the singer stresses.

“I will always respect Marc as a singer and performer. He will always be in our lives. He will always hold a special place in my heart as the father of my children,” she says, adding that she feels “strong” enough to be moving on now.