Jennifer Lopez Gets Honest About Not Understanding Parenthood Before Becoming A Mother: ‘I Remember Apologizing To Friends’

jennifer lopez preparing to shoot in the mother
(Image credit: Netflix)

Actress/pop star Jennifer Lopez has spent decades in the public eye, thanks to her career as an actress and pop star. In addition to following these ventures, the public has also been keeping up with her personal life. That includes JLo co-parenting her kids and blending her family with Ben Affleck’s. The Hustlers star recently got honest about not understanding parenthood before becoming a mother, saying “I remember apologizing to friends.” Hey, hindsight is 20/20.

JLo became a parent when she and ex Marc Anthony had twins back in 2004. This is a life-changing experience for anyone, including world famous celebrities. Lopez recently spoke with THR about the shift that came when she became a mother. In her words:

I remember when I wasn’t a mother, I didn’t understand that at all. I remember apologizing to friends of mine at that time who had kids — I was like, ‘Why don’t you do this and this?’ And then once I had [kids], I was like, ‘I’m so sorry; I had no idea.’

Relatable content. The reality of parenthood is something that folks often can’t understand before they have kids. At least that was the case for JLo, leading her to apologize to friends after she had her twins. And after blending families with Ben Affleck, she’s also become a caretaker to three more children. Imagine having Lopez as your stepmom!

Lopez’s comments come as she’s promoting her new movie The Mother, which is available with a Netflix subscription. The action flick led her to reflect on motherhood, and her own experience as a parent. Later in that same interview, she spoke about how the themes of motherhood factor into the movie itself, saying:

This movie, in particular, I love because it really thinks about: What kind of mother are you? [In the film,] there’s two different mothers, the adoptive mother and the character that I played, who’s actually her biological mother. It just goes to show that there’s no perfect version of a mom. You have to be the best mom you can be with who you are and what you know, and the things that you learned and experienced in your life. And that’s what you kind of pass on to your kids, you protect them and love them, no matter what.

While most parents don’t get involved in wild action sequences like The Mother, there is no one way to be a parent. And since the new Netflix movie is currently the #1 movie on the streaming service, smart money says plenty of fans are watching. The timing of releasing it on Mother’s Day Weekend was a smart marketing choice as well.

The Mother was directed by Niki Caro, who also helmed the live-action Mulan movie for Disney. She’s clearly a filmmaker who understands how to shoot action sequences, so it seems like a match made in heaven. And while The Mother’s reviews have been mixed, it’s clearly a popular title on Netflix.

The Mother is streaming now on Netflix. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.