The 44-year-old 'On The Floor' hitmaker was determined to pick up the pieces after her divorce from the Latino singer in 2011 for the sake of their twins Max and Emme, now aged five, but says the high-profile separation was the toughest thing she has ever experienced, reported Contactmusic.
"Back then the pain hurt so much, but I didn't want what happened to finish me. I wanted it to help me grow for the better. I didn't want to just survive it; I wanted to come out of it stronger than I was before," Lopez said.
Lopez is now happy in a relationship with choreographer Casper Smart, 26, and is pleased she can count Anthony - her third husband following failed marriages to Ojani Noa and Cris Judd - as a friend these days.