Following an Instagram post from his mother Pattie Mallette—where she vowed to “pray for you always” and called for healing—Justin Bieber has responded, using the comments section to reveal exactly what the “only thing I need healing from” really is.

Bieber was quick to clarify he doesn’t actually need serious healing, though, after Mallette turned to social media to voice her prayers for him.

On September 22, Mallette hopped on her Instagram to share a post focused on her 31-year-old son, featuring several photos of him in a shirt that reads “Pray for Me”—a piece from his Speed Demon music video.

“We’re right here cheering you on, Justin, and we’ll keep praying for you always,” she wrote in her lengthy caption.

“I declare freedom, strength, clarity, and healing over you, Justin. May every chain of fear, confusion, heaviness, and pain be broken in Jesus’ name. Holy Spirit, wrap him in TRUTH, LIGHT, and PROTECTION. HEAL EVERY WOUND in his heart, mind, and body—whether they’re seen or unseen—restore what’s been taken from him, and cover him in complete WHOLENESS,” her faith-driven message continued.

“Fill him to OVERFLOWING with Your LOVE and COMFORT. Keep lifting him up as a voice for Your Kingdom—unshaken and on fire for You, Lord,” she ended. “Quiet every voice that isn’t Yours, and let his life be a bold testament to Your power, love, and healing grace. Say amen if you’re with me.”

Four weeks after Mallette shared the post, Bieber finally weighed in—hopping into the comments to joke, “The only thing I need healing from is my sprained pinky toe from playing ping pong.”

Mallette’s prayer post came just a few days after her son shared his own Instagram update about Jesus, one that seemed to stem from a conversation with ChatGPT about humanity.

Before this prayer-filled post, Mallette’s last Instagram activity was in August, when she dropped a photo dump from her “Spring/Summer 2025.” The carousel included shots of her kissing a cardboard cutout of Bieber, plus photos from her 50th birthday celebration. While Bieber didn’t leave a comment on that post at the time, his wife Hailey Bieber did—writing, “You’re so gorgeous.”

“He was really going through a hard time in his life back then,” Louis Tomlinson said of his fellow One Direction member—who died at 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

Louis Tomlinson is getting candid about the moment he found out Liam Payne had passed away. During an appearance on the Diary of a CEO podcast, the former One Direction star shared that it was bandmate Niall Horan who told him the devastating news about their friend.

“It hit me the same way it did when I lost Félicité,” Tomlinson explained, referencing his late sister, who died at 18 in March 2019.

On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, Tomlinson was in a car in Los Angeles when Horan called to break the news of Payne’s death. The 31-year-old singer had fallen from the balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“I think anyone feels this way when someone close to them is struggling—even giving 150% of myself just wasn’t enough,” Tomlinson admitted. He went on to reflect on the guilt that followed: “That’s when I realized it was my own arrogance thinking I could’ve helped, honestly. His pain was so much deeper than anything I could’ve fixed for him.”

Again, he emphasized how much Payne was suffering: “He was really going through a hard time in his life back then.”

One Direction stayed together for roughly six years, forming in 2010 and announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2016. The original five-member group sold millions of albums, toured the globe, and grew up publicly—all under the world’s watch.

Tomlinson also talked about the tribute post he shared shortly after Payne’s death. “When I posted that message about him… I wanted so badly for people to remember him the way he deserved to be remembered,” he said. The “Lemonade” singer added that he could “talk all day” about Payne and how “amazing” he was.

“He was someone we all looked up to,” Tomlinson revealed. “Back when we were in the band, I don’t think any of us would’ve had the courage to say that—we were too proud, honestly. But we all admired him so much.”

At the time of Payne’s death, Tomlinson shared a photo of the two hugging and smiling, writing that he was “devastated” to have “lost a brother.” He called Payne by his nickname, “Payno,” and described him as “such a positive, funny, and kind soul.” While he admitted he was “struggling” with the idea of saying “goodbye,” Tomlinson made sure to highlight how grateful he was to have known Payne.

“We got even closer after the band, and I’m so thankful for that,” he shared, opening up about their post-1D friendship. “Talking on the phone for hours, reminiscing about the thousands of incredible memories we shared—that was a luxury I thought I’d have with you forever. I would’ve loved nothing more than to share the stage with you again, but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

While daughter Kim Kardashian has been channeling her mom by rocking that iconic black pixie cut lately, Kris Jenner is switching things up big time this fall—talk about a total style flip!

New hair, new vibe? Kris Jenner’s here to prove it. The Kardashian-Jenner family matriarch took to Instagram to debut a head-turning new look, and she had a pro by her side: celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton.

The video kicks off with Kris in a casual sweatsuit, a towel wrapped snugly around her hair. She and Appleton team up to lip-sync Sabrina Carpenter’s viral bop “When Did You Get Hot?” while he mixes up a bowl of hair dye—setting the stage for the big reveal. Kris then holds her hand up to the camera to launch a smooth transition, and just like that, her new bleach-blonde bob takes center stage—say goodbye to her go-to black pixie!

By the end of the clip, the famous “momager” is fully glammed up: she’s wearing a sleek black top, a leather blazer, and a gold necklace with a sparkling emerald front and center, plus a fresh makeup look that ties the whole outfit together.

The post—collaborated on with Appleton and makeup artist Ashley Kholm—has a simple, playful caption: “Blondie @krisjenner.” Unsurprisingly, the comments were full of love. Ashley chimed in first: “Uhhh she looks incredible We totally nailed that!!!” Selling Sunsets star Chrishell Stause dropped a enthusiastic “Love,” and longtime Kardashian family friend Food Good added, “LOVEEEE.”

Kris didn’t stop at one post, either—she shared a second Instagram showing off her blonde locks, and revealed the reason behind the hair change: it was for the launch of Shark Beauty at the CUT Lounge inside the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.

For context, the 69-year-old mom of six has been keeping her hair at a chin-length cut for a while now. Meanwhile, her daughter Kim actually just followed in her footsteps by trying out a pixie cut of her own. Kim showed off the edgy style at the Maison Margiela Womenswear Spring/Summer 2026 show during Paris Fashion Week on October 4, 2025, in Paris. Fans were shocked by the bold choice—pixie cuts are a big departure from Kim’s usual longer styles—but she quickly set the record straight: it was just a wig.

Six years after sharing the Super Bowl Halftime Show stage with Bad Bunny, J.Lo is also opening up about why her latest film—executive-produced by ex-husband Ben Affleck—helped her heal during her divorce.

Jennifer Lopez is so thrilled at the idea of her former Super Bowl Halftime Show collaborator Bad Bunny headlining this year’s performance that she’s completely oblivious to the controversy surrounding his selection.

Seriously—she’s genuinely in the dark about it.When the topic came up during her Today show interview with Craig Melvin, she asked earnestly, “There’s a controversy?”

“Oh, come on,” Melvin pushed back, clearly skeptical that she hadn’t heard about the firestorm of conservative pushback—one that’s even reached the White House. But Lopez stood her ground.

“I swear, I had no idea,” she said, sounding genuine. So Melvin gently filled her in, careful not to take sides or dive into specific criticisms—like complaints that Bad Bunny’s music is mostly in Spanish. For Lopez, though, that’s exactly what makes him stand out.“I’m so excited for people who might be on the fence about him to watch,” she said. “His music doesn’t need a translator—it transcends language. What he’s accomplished is incredible; he’s done things most people only dream of. I was pumped when he joined us for the Super Bowl years ago, and now I can’t wait to see what he does as the lead. He’s a killer performer, a total entertainer.”

Looking back at their 2020 Halftime Show appearance (when they joined Shakira), Lopez called it “a cultural milestone.” And she’s convinced this year’s show will be just as memorable: “He’s gonna blow everyone away.”

Beyond her excitement for Bad Bunny, Lopez is also eager to talk about her next big project: Kiss of the Spider Woman. She’s currently promoting the film, and she thinks its resurgence—adapted from Manuel Puig’s controversial 1976 novel—couldn’t come at a better time.

The book has been reimagined before: as a 1983 stage play, a 1985 movie, and a 1993 Broadway musical. What made it groundbreaking (and still relevant) is its unflinching portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters and issues in 1970s Argentina—a theme that hits close to home amid today’s divisive U.S. political landscape.

For Lopez, this film is a passion project. She was gushing about its message and how meaningful it was to explore its themes when Melvin interrupted her reverie: “While you were filming this big, beautiful musical, your divorce from Ben was also finalized.”

“There it is!” she laughed, turning to the crew. “Look at this guy, bringing it up!”

But Melvin had a reason to mention it: Ben Affleck is listed as an executive producer on the film. As she’s said in past interviews, Lopez emphasized, “Honestly, this movie wouldn’t exist without Ben. I’ll always give him credit for that. Life throws curveballs, but you just keep moving forward.”

In a way, the film’s core theme—“escapism” for its main character, a prison inmate—mirrored her own life. “It’s about how movies and art get us through our darkest moments,” she explained. “This project was a dream come true for me, and it really helped me get through a tough time in my personal life.”

Melvin also tossed out a lighthearted idea: Could Lopez bring Spider Woman back to Broadway? “Yeah, I could,” she said cautiously. “There’s been some chatter about it—nothing solid yet, but it’s been talked about.”

Last month, in an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning, Lopez went into more detail about how filming this passion project helped her gain clarity during her divorce. She even called the split “the best thing that ever happened to me.”

The “Real Housewives of Atlanta” (RHOA) star dropped a surprise on fans recently, opening up about her new dating life—and explaining how the two people she’s “seeing now” differ from the “narcissists” she’s dated in the past.

Following her split from Simon Guobadia, Porsha Williams is embracing a fresh chapter—one that includes romantic connections with both a man and a woman. She shared the news over the weekend at CultureCon, in footage posted by Culture Unfiltered on Instagram. During her chat, Williams got real about her post-divorce love life, and her comments seemed to take a subtle dig at Guobadia as she called out some past partners for being “narcissists.”

“So right now, there are two people I’m seeing—I’ve narrowed it down to just them: one guy, one woman, and both are really kind,” Williams said. Her reveal sparked a loud reaction from the crowd, with one audience member calling out, “You’re fearless!”

Williams went on to explain that she’s prioritizing “normalcy” in these new connections. “I just wanted to make sure these were regular, genuine people,” she said. “The other day, I was talking to my therapist about this—turns out, I’m struggling to let my guard down because these two aren’t narcissists. And here’s the thing about narcissists: they love-bomb you, they go out of their way to seem flawless, and they mirror your energy to win you over.”

She emphasized that her current love interests are nothing like that. “They challenge me, they ask me real, honest questions, they don’t let me get away with anything, and they aren’t just doing whatever it takes to lock down a relationship,” Williams added. “That’s why I still don’t feel safe enough to open up fully yet. But I’m starting to realize: if I want something different than what I had before, I have to be different too. I need to soften up a little, stop expecting all these over-the-top gestures, and get used to someone checking me when I need it.”

Williams’ comments come after a messy split from Guobadia. The pair dated for roughly a month before getting engaged in May 2021, then tied the knot in November 2022. But by February 2024, Williams filed for divorce—right around the time she was gearing up to film her return to RHOA, after stepping away from the series back in 2021.

The 37-year-old single mom is standing firm on her parenting choices—and making it clear she won’t back down to online negativity anytime soon.

Rumer Willis isn’t letting critics dictate how she parents her daughter. The 37-year-old took to Instagram Stories on October 2 to clap back at fans who’ve questioned her decision to breastfeed her 2-year-old, Louetta “Lou” Isley Thomas Willis. Alongside a photo of herself nursing Lou, Willis addressed the naysayers directly: “For the haters who come at me about breastfeeding my 2 yr old,” she wrote, leaving no room for ambiguity that their opinions aren’t changing her mind. She added a polite but firm sign-off: “I hope you have a blessed day.”

Willis—whose parents are Hollywood icons Bruce Willis and Demi Moore—first opened up about breastfeeding her toddler in late September, when she shared an Instagram Reel showing her style as a “breastfeeding mama of a two-year-old.” The post sparked mixed reactions: while some followers chimed in with their own experiences of breastfeeding older kids, others were quick to criticize.

One Instagram user argued, “She’s had plenty of time to get antibodies—time to cut those apron strings.” Another asked bluntly, “I think she’s already gotten everything she needs from breast milk. Why keep doing this?” A third commenter went further: “That’s way too old to be breastfeeding!”

Willis has been open about her motherhood journey ever since Louetta was born in April 2023. In August 2024, she set the record straight about her relationship status on Instagram after a fan asked if she and Derek Richard Thomas—Louetta’s father—were “still a couple.” “Nope. I am single momming it and coparenting,” she replied. She also gushed about her daughter: “I’m so grateful for Lou. She is the best thing in my life, and I’m forever thankful I got to have that time in our relationship for her to come into my world.”

Earlier in 2024, Willis opened up more about her breastfeeding choice during an interview with E! News at the Beverly Hills Film Festival. She emphasized that she feels no shame in the decision, saying, “I don’t have shame about my breasts or about feeding my daughter. That’s how babies eat—that’s how they build connection, that’s how they feel safe. We, as a society, are the ones who’ve sexualized breasts. Breasts are literally made to feed our kids.”

She doubled down on her priorities, asking a rhetorical question that resonated with many parents: “If people look at me weird or judge me, that’s fine. Whatever your parenting journey looks like, don’t be ashamed of it. It’s such a privilege to be able to feed your child and share those little moments of connection. Are you really going to put what other people think of you above that bond with your kid?”

“It was really offensive. Every celebrity who’s ever come to my show— and there have been a ton—has always been so gracious and kind. But she wasn’t,” Cassandra Peterson, better known by her iconic spooky persona Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, said of Ariana Grande. The 74-year-old performer is now opening up about calling out the Wicked star publicly last year, plus her take on Grande’s subsequent apology.

In a Friday interview with Entertainment Weekly, Peterson didn’t hold back, describing Grande’s alleged past behavior as both “offensive” and “sad.” She also voiced hope that the singer might gain some “lessons” from the situation down the line.

The drama first resurfaced last October, when a video of Peterson talking to a crowd about her “worst celebrity encounter” went viral on social media—Peterson even reposted it on her Instagram. “She showed up with around 20 guests, so she asked for 20 or 21 tickets. We agreed and handed them over,” Peterson recalled at the time. “Then she came backstage and asked if I could take photos with every single friend and family member she brought. I did that—plus signed autographs for all of them. Then I turned to her and said, ‘Can we snap a photo together?’ And she just said, ‘Nah, I don’t really do that.’”

Grande later weighed in on Peterson’s Instagram post to address the claims, writing that she was “so disheartened to see this.” “I actually don’t even remember getting the chance to meet you because I had an anxiety attack. From what I recall, I left before the rest of my family,” she explained, seemingly referencing the PTSD she’s spoken about following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. “This was around seven years ago, and back then, I really struggled with being in public crowds or loud places. But if I’m misremembering this moment, I sincerely apologize for offending you.”

She added, “Thank you for being so nice to my mom—she told me how lovely you were. (She might have different feelings now, but I’ll talk to her… clearly, we all have our off days!) Sending love always. ♡ You’ll always be our Halloween queen!” Grande later appeared to delete the comment.

In her new chat with EW, Peterson said she hasn’t spoken to Grande since that comment—and made it clear she wasn’t impressed with the apology. “You know that kind of response where someone says something, but you can tell their heart isn’t in it? Like a half-hearted ‘thanks’ that doesn’t feel genuine?” she said, specifically calling out Grande’s line about her mom: “She mentioned how her mom used to really like me, but maybe not anymore.”

“After she responded like that, I just let the whole thing go,” Peterson continued. “I told a true story—she did what she did. I wasn’t making it up. It was offensive. All the other celebrities who’ve come to my shows? They’re always kind. She wasn’t. I hate to say that, but it’s true. It’s disappointing, honestly—sad, even. But what can you do?”

Still, the longtime performer held out a glimmer of hope that Grande might grow from the experience. “I think when you’re young and in show business—especially if you stick around long enough to stay famous—you learn a lot of lessons along the way. You start to get a little more humble,” Peterson said. “So I’m hoping that’s what happens with her.”

Taylor Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl isn’t the only treat she’s given fans lately—she’s also dishing out juicy details about her engagement to Travis Kelce and their upcoming wedding plans.

The pop icon crossed the pond for a UK press run to promote her 12th studio album, which dropped this past Friday. She stopped by The Graham Norton Show and a handful of British radio programs, including BBC Radio 1 Breakfast, Heart Breakfast, and Hits Radio. During those chats, Swift opened up about how Kelce popped the question, the story behind her showstopping engagement ring, and even tossed out an on-air wedding invite—plus dropped hints about what’s next for their big day.

Swift, 35, and Kelce, also 35, announced their engagement in late August with a joint Instagram post. “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married ,” they captioned it, along with a carousel of photos from the proposal—including a close-up of Swift’s dazzling diamond ring.

On Friday’s episode of The Graham Norton Show, Swift walked through just how romantic Kelce’s proposal was. “He totally nailed the surprise—like, knocked it out of the park,” she told Norton, according to People. “We were in the middle of recording an episode of his podcast—him and his brother Jason’s New Heights show—and turns out, he’d had a whole custom garden built in his backyard just for the proposal. He went all out. Like, 10 out of 10, no notes.”

As the 12-time Grammy winner explained, the proposal went down at Kelce’s home in Lee’s Summit, Missouri—and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end didn’t stop at a custom garden. He also designed her engagement ring himself.

Swift spilled that detail during her Friday appearance on Heart Breakfast, where she chatted with hosts Emma Bunton (of Spice Girls fame) and Jamie Theakston. When Theakston mentioned he’d “caught a quick glimpse” of her ring, Swift lit up: “Do you wanna see it?” She held up the diamond, and the hosts gushed over it.

“He designed it with this amazing jeweler, Kindred Lubeck—she does all her gold engraving by hand,” Swift said of Kelce. “I’d shown him a video of her work like a year and a half ago, just because I thought it was so cool. Turns out, he was paying way more attention than I realized. When I saw the ring, I gasped and was like, ‘I know who made this—I know who made this!’ It was like… he listens to me. He really knows me.”

She laughed, adding, “I never even knew what I wanted in an engagement ring, but somehow he did. That’s low-key a flex, let’s be real.”

When it comes to her bachelorette party (known as a “hen do” in the UK), Swift admitted she hadn’t given it—or weddings in general—much thought before meeting Kelce. “The thing is, all my girlfriends are scattered across the world,” she said. “You’d probably assume I’m the type who’s obsessed over wedding plans my whole life, but honestly? I never once thought about what I’d want or do—until I met him. So a bachelorette party? Yeah, I haven’t even wrapped my head around that yet. This is the first time I’ve ever cared to. My girls are so fun, but man, they’re busy.”

Over on BBC Radio 1 Breakfast, Swift shared more wedding tidbits—and even invited her longtime friend, host Greg James, to the nuptials live on air.

“You and I go way back—longer than Travis and I have known each other,” James told her. “I just need to check: He seems like a great guy, but I gotta make sure. Maybe we should play catch sometime?”

“Oh, he’d be down—you’d love it!” Swift joked. “All my guy friends are always saying stuff like, ‘I just wanna get Travis to pick me up and toss me over a roof or into a pool.’ He’s 6’6”, and have you seen his shoulders? Just watching him walk through a door is, like, a privilege.”

James laughed and replied, “That sounds great—I’d let him hit me with a wrestling move into a pool, no problem.”

“The second he sees you at our wedding? That’s gonna happen,” Swift said.

James did a double-take. “Wait, wait—woah. Am I actually invited?”

“Obviously!” Swift laughed. “People act like we’re not real friends, but c’mon.” The two then joked about their viral 2018 moment, when James teased Swift about needing a “shower” after her sweaty performance at Radio 1’s Big Weekend.

Later, James thanked her for the invite: “By the way, seriously—thanks for that. I usually hate destination weddings, but for you? I’d make an exception.” He then asked where the wedding would be.

Swift grinned and teased, “I’ll fill you in on that later.”

As for other wedding guests, Swift hinted that her pal Ed Sheeran will be there too— and might even perform—during her chat with Hits Radio.

“We talked to Ed a few weeks back, and he said everyone’s always asking him to sing at their weddings,” host Fleur East said. “So… is he performing at yours?”

“Honestly? I don’t think we could keep him away if we tried,” Swift replied. “He’s always saying, ‘I get asked to sing at weddings all the time!’ But c’mon—if there’s a stage there, Ed’s gonna be on it. He knows what people want, and he loves giving that to them.”

She added that one of the best parts of her friendship with Sheeran is their shared love of performing. “We’ll joke, ‘Ugh, don’t make me sing!’ but then… we totally do,” she laughed.

Swift also mentioned she saw Sheeran “last weekend” at a mutual friend’s wedding—“Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s, actually,” she clarified. “We were talking about how much fun we had when he joined me at Wembley for the Eras Tour. And we were saying that when we’re in a room together—rehearsing, writing, working—there’s this weird little mind-meld thing that happens. We’ve always had that, and I think we always will.”

At 33, Selena Gomez kicked off her wedding night by dancing barefoot with husband Benny Blanco—rocking an old Hollywood glamour look that was just one of three stunning outfits she wore for the big day.

Let’s be real: Who said Selena Gomez has to stick to one wedding dress?

The actress and singer dropped new photos from her nuptials to music producer Benny Blanco on Tuesday, giving fans their first glimpse at her reception gown. The star of Only Murders in the Building hopped on Instagram to share a set of snapshots from her elegant September 27 ceremony, which took place in California.

In the photos, Gomez is captured kissing Blanco on the dance floor, wearing a vintage-inspired white dress with a sweetheart neckline—and no shoes, ready to dance the night away. Her nearly 418 million followers also got a close-up of the tiny, meaningful details on her Ralph Lauren wedding gown: a lace heart stitched with “S&B” (for Selena and Benny) tucked into the fabric.

Beyond her ceremony gown, Gomez showed off a second look: a halter-neck floor-length dress with a structured corset and a delicate lace train. The carousel also included a close-up of her wedding bouquet—filled with lilies of the valley—and the couple’s cake: a simple heart-shaped confection topped with black cursive icing that read “just married,” plus tiny bride-and-groom figurines.

Gomez kept her caption sweet and to the point, tagging: “@ralphlauren @itsbennyblanco @rarebeauty.”

Sources say the pair tied the knot at a private estate in Montecito, Santa Barbara, California—and the guest list was stacked with A-listers. Gomez’s best friend Taylor Swift was there, as were her Only Murders in the Building co-stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Paul Rudd.

TMZ shared photos of Swift, 35, arriving in California for the wedding earlier that week—with the pop icon staying incognito as her team held up black umbrellas to shield her. The outlet also posted shots of Martin, Short, and Rudd hanging out ahead of Gomez’s rehearsal dinner that Friday night.

Even celebrities who couldn’t make it in person rushed to celebrate the couple in the comments. Camila Cabello wrote, “love looks good on you” alongside a handful of heart-eyed emojis , while Timbaland commented on Blanco’s Sunday post: “Congrats my brother.”

Jennifer Lopez is getting real about her whirlwind second relationship with Ben Affleck—one that ultimately ended in divorce—and in a new interview, she’s sharing how working on her latest film, Kiss of the Spider Woman, helped her see their marriage was unraveling.

As TMZ reported back in August 2024, Lopez filed for divorce from Affleck—and now, just over a year into being single again, she’s reflecting on the end of their marriage. In fact, she’s going so far as to call the split “the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Decades after their first romance fizzled, Lopez and Affleck reconnected, rekindled their love, and even made it down the aisle—winning over the nation all over again. But sadly, their second shot at love didn’t stick, and the pair called it quits last year.

Now, in a new chat with CBS News Sunday Mornings—where she’s promoting her upcoming film Kiss of the Spider Woman (Affleck serves as an executive producer)—Lopez is breaking down why she now sees their divorce as a positive turning point in her life.

“Because it shifted something in me,” she said—then clarified, “Wait, it didn’t change me. But it helped me grow in the exact way I needed to.”

Though their marriage ended in 2024, filming for Kiss of the Spider Woman was already underway when Lopez and Affleck were still together—and already grappling with marital issues. That overlap created a striking juxtaposition for Lopez: one that was both incredibly tough and surprisingly eye-opening.

At the same time, Lopez is quick to credit Affleck for his role in a project that’s since become deeply meaningful to her. “This movie never would’ve gotten made without him and his production company, Artists Equity,” she said. She recalled telling her then-husband, “This is the role I was born to play—I need to do this.” And sure enough, he and his team agreed to fund her dream. “I’ll always give him props for that,” she added.

On the personal front, though, things were far from smooth. “It was a really tough time,” Lopez admitted—and she didn’t disagree when the interviewer described making the film as a kind of “refuge” for her.

“It was impossible not to dwell on everything going on,” she said. “In a way, it was the best of times and the worst of times. Every second I was on set, every second I was in this role—I was so happy. But then I’d go home, and things were… not good,” she explained. “I kept thinking, ‘How do I make sense of this?’”

“But you push through it,” she went on. And now, looking back on that chaotic period, she says it ended up being a positive force in her life—one that helped her grow as a person and “become more self-aware.” “I’m a different person than I was last year,” she emphasized.

As for where she stands now? Lopez says she’s happier than ever. “This summer was probably the best summer I’ve ever had—I had so much fun,” she shared. “I’m able to enjoy things more now, and because I’m so much more grateful for them, that joy just multiplies.”

“I realized that joy is in living in the moment—really embracing life and everything it throws your way,” she explained. “That means embracing the lessons, the triumphs… all of it. The hard times? Those are the lessons. You have to wrap your head around that,” she added. “And once you do, everything feels a little lighter—and you can truly, truly fly.”

“I don’t think I would’ve understood any of that if this divorce hadn’t happened,” Lopez said, reflecting on the split. “And that’s the truth.”