Jennifer Lopez: 'I Love Myself Enough To Walk Away From The Marriage Now'
Aug. 2 2011, Published 2:30 p.m. ET
Jennifer Lopez has broken her silence about her split from husband Marc Anthony, saying she knew instinctively it was the right decision for her to make, and still respects her ex.
"It’s not that I didn't love myself before," the 42-year-old told Vanity Fair's September issue. "Sometimes we don't realize that we are compromising ourselves.
“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.
"I love myself enough to walk away from that now," she said. "Sometimes it doesn’t work – and that's sad. But I remain an eternal optimist about love. I believe in love."
Lopez said despite the broken marriage, she still yearns for the chance at finding true love.
“It’s still my biggest dream,” Lopez told the magazine. “I am positive -- determined to move forward with my life ... I now look forward to new challenges. I feel strong.”
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The On The Floor singer said she's aiming to be the best "mother, entertainer and person" for Max and Emme, her 3-year-old twins with the I Need To Know singer.
"I will always respect Marc as a singer and performer," Lopez said. “We actually work great together, and he was always very supportive. Together we could make magic -- and we did. He will always be in our lives.
“He will always hold a special place in my heart as the father of my children.”
The issue hits newsstands in New York and L.A. on August 3, and nationally August 9.
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