Jennifer Lopez shared that her twins, Max and Emme, will soon be heading off to college – a change that she's positively embracing. While speaking with Entertainment Tonight at the opening night of her 'Up All Night Live in Las Vegas' residency, the singer reflected on her 17-year-old kids flying the nest.
"I feel really good about it," she said. "I'm like, [I] can't believe that we've gotten here, you know, just the three of us. It's, you know, been a journey for all three of us through this life [because] I was a single mom since they were 3 years old."
She continued: "People have come in and out of my life, but it really has just been the three of us. And to see how they're kind of like thriving right now and the adults, like young adults that they're growing into, and they're so ready for their life. They're so ready to get out there and I remember what that felt like [at] 18."
© Getty ImagesAlthough Jennifer faces an empty nest, she expressed that she’s "so excited" for her twins to experience life independently. "I'm so excited for that because I know that they have this like, home for them to come home to that is solid and will be solid for them for the rest of their life, and they know that, even more importantly," she said. "So they have that love and they can go out and do whatever they want."
BACP-accredited therapist Billie Dunlevy spoke to us about empty nest syndrome. "Many parents, particularly women as they are often the primary carers, feel grief and a profound sense of loss when their remaining child or children move out," she explained. "Some parents can experience a loss of purpose, an identity crisis and an increase in anxiety or depression."
BACP-registered counsellor Georgina Sturmer told us that an empty nest can feel isolating: "Our homes feel quieter and we might feel as if we have left behind. It’s a reminder that we are moving through life and getting older. Our sense of purpose might feel diminished and our sense of identity can hang in the balance."
© GC ImagesJennifer may experience empty nest syndrome even harder due to being a single parent. "For single parents it can bring up a lot of fear for the future and sometimes a preoccupation with their child’s life from afar," explained Billie.
The singer welcomed her twins, Max and Emme, with her ex-husband, Marc Anthony, in February 2008. According to her memoir True Love, Jennifer first met the musician while he was performing in Paul Simon’s 1998 Broadway musical The Capeman. At the time, Anthony reportedly told her, "One day you’re going to be my wife". Though both pursued other relationships in the years that followed, Lopez and Anthony remained close friends and collaborators, often working together on music projects. Jennifer quietly tied the knot with Marc in a private ceremony in June 2004.
Although Jennifer and Marc separated in 2011, they have maintained a strong bond and continue to co-parent their children amicably. "Honestly, we’re always gonna be great friends. I’m always gonna be there for him; he’s always gonna be there for me," Jennifer shared in a 2017 interview on Live With Kelly.
© WireImageThe "Let's Get Loud" hitmaker was joined by her teenage twins for the new year countdown during the opening night of her 'Up All Night Live in Las Vegas' residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Despite joining Jennifer on stage to an audience of thousands, it seems the twins aren't phased by their mom's fame. "It's funny, my kids are not very involved with Mom's work. They're like, 'work, come home, be home for dinner.' That's more what they're concerned about. Mom, are you going to be here in the weekend? Can we do this? Can we do that? You know, it's a different life. It's separate," she told E! News.
