Jennifer Lopez Says Her Self-Esteem Was Affected by How the Public Perceived Her
Jennifer Lopez is known for being a confident entertainer. What might surprise you is her revelation that she used to struggle with self-esteem. Here’s what Lopez once said about the industry’s impact on how she viewed herself.
Jennifer Lopez says she ignored her inner voice
Jennifer Lopez says she didn’t listen to her inner voice when it came to her marriage to Marc Anthony, and she realized she did the same thing when it came to her career. Lopez admits she didn’t follow her intuition and allowed others to influence her decisions at the beginning of her entertainment career.
“When I think back on it, years earlier I had reached a similar moment in my career,” wrote Lopez in her book True Love. “It was during a time when I was getting to do things that I had hardly let myself dream about when I was a little girl. Platinum albums, movie roles opposite Jack Nicholson, George Clooney, Sean Penn . . . I felt like I was doing it on my own terms, but actually, I wasn’t.”
Lopez says she followed other people’s advice instead of going with what she wanted. The drawback of listening to others was that it caused the singer to focus more on what everyone else wanted instead of making choices that were best for her.
“I was mainly following the advice of managers, record executives, and stylists,” wrote Lopez. “They had the best of intentions, but because I wasn’t also listening to myself, I ended up caring more and more about what they wanted and how I was perceived by the public and the media than what I knew was right for me as an artist. Instead of measuring my success and value by my own standards, I was measuring it by how others perceived me.”
Jennifer Lopez’s self-esteem was affected by public perception
Lopez says it’s important not to get lost in the hustle and forget who you really are. She reveals her self-esteem was affected by the way the public perceived her. She became known as a “Hollywood diva,” and it became hard for her to shake this perception.
Because I was so used to being seen as that woman in the tabloids, the Hollywood diva, I forgot what it was like to be known as myself. It’s vital to be in touch with who you are at your core and not to lose yourself in the hustle.
I had always wanted to believe that my public image didn’t affect my feelings of self-worth—but unfortunately, that wasn’t always the case. If you keep hearing negative things about yourself, they start to seep into your consciousness, and you start to feel like they’re true. They cloud who you know you really are, and you can lose yourself.
Jennifer Lopez in ‘True Love’
The lesson Jennifer Lopez learned
Lopez says she didn’t take control of the narrative that was being told about her, so she was portrayed in a way she says didn’t align with who she really is. According to her, she put others first and didn’t pay attention to what she really wanted.
“I was being painted in a way that wasn’t me because I wasn’t taking control of the situation,” wrote Lopez. “I was so wrapped up in keeping up with my schedule and giving people what they wanted that I neglected to ask myself what I wanted. I spent a lot of energy living up to those expectations and I lost my own sense of direction along the way.”
Lopez says she eventually learned to pay attention to what she wants. She learned that she is the best person to decide what she needs. “You have to really sit still and ask yourself: What do I want? Does this feel right? What should I do?” wrote Lopez. “I realized I had to go back and do what I had always done. Listening to my gut was just as important as listening to the advice of others, and only I knew what was best for me.”
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