Jennifer Lopez Says She Raised 18-Year-Old Twins With Very Little Help From Marc Anthony

Q: Did Jennifer Lopez just confirm Marc Anthony was an absent father to their successful, college-bound twins?

Not definitively. Jennifer Lopez strongly implied she carried most of the parenting load, but she did not explicitly say Marc Anthony was an “absent father.” On the *SmartLess* podcast, Lopez said of raising their twins, “You did that s–t all by yourself… You had very little help.” That is the clearest public remark fueling the interpretation that Anthony was minimally involved. It aligns with reports from entertainment outlets citing sources who describe Lopez as the “primary parent” and say Anthony’s time with the twins became less frequent over the years. There are also public details that reinforce that perception. Anthony was reportedly absent from both twins’ graduation events, while Lopez attended and publicly celebrated their milestones. Lopez has also previously spoken about feeling like a single mother during difficult periods after their split. Still, the available evidence stops short of a direct confirmation. Lopez did not name Anthony in the podcast quote, did not spell out the extent of his involvement, and the strongest claims about his parenting come from unnamed sources rather than on-the-record statements or documented custody details. So the fairest reading is that Lopez appeared to suggest she raised Emme and Max with limited support, and many took that as a swipe at Anthony. But she has not publicly and unequivocally confirmed that he was an absent father.

3 articles · Updated · Just Jared · Jun 16

Jennifer Lopez said on the SmartLess podcast that she had “very little help” raising 18-year-old twins Emme and Max, appearing to criticize ex-husband Marc Anthony as they prepare to leave for college.
Both teenagers got into all their colleges, received scholarships and will attend the schools they wanted, which Lopez cited as a point of pride in reflecting on her parenting.
The 56-year-old singer and actor said the milestone has left her able to look back on her life and feel happy with what she built for herself and her children.
The comments came weeks after Emme’s high school graduation, which Lopez attended with Ben Affleck’s son Samuel while Marc Anthony was reportedly absent.