Jennifer Lopez's journey from the Bronx to the glitz and glam of Hollywood was one of hard work, determination, and, most importantly, support from her loving family.
Growing up as the middle child in a Puerto Rican-American household, the iconic actress managed to navigate the unique family dynamic shaped by her parents, Guadalupe and David, as well as her two sisters, Leslie and Lynda.
Her family members played a crucial role in influencing who she became; from her mother's tough love, to her father's quiet pride, to her sisters' endless support, it's clear that the Lopez family shaped Jennifer into the superstar she is today. Now, as a global icon and mother herself, Jennifer never fails to credit her loving family for their support during her long and varied career.
Join HELLO! as we explore Jennifer's unique bond with her tight-knit family.
Jennifer's rocky road with her mother Guadalupe
© KMazurWhile Jennifer clearly adores her mother, Guadalupe Rodriguez, or "Lupe" for short, the pair have a deep and complicated relationship, according to the singer. After becoming a mother and having three young kids by age 26, the Puerto Rican native walked the line of disciplinarian and friend.
"She was a young mom; she got married when she was 20," she told Entertainment Tonight. "She had my sister when she was 21…so we all grew up together. It was like living with a teenager, to be honest."
The 55-year-old credits her mom for instilling a love of music in her and her two sisters.
"My mom was also the mom who got me into musicals and introduced me to all kinds of music. I am an entertainer because of my mom," she told Rolling Stone in 2022.
Looking back on her childhood growing up in the Bronx, her documentary The Greatest Love Story Never Told explored her mother's narcissistic tendencies, which caused a rift between the two.
© Kevin Mazur/JLoAt one point, Jennifer was even homeless and sleeping on the couch at her dance studio, as Guadalupe disagreed with her aspirations for fame.
"I didn't want to go to college- I wanted to try dance full time," she told W magazine in 2013. "So she and I had a break. I started sleeping on the sofa in the dance studio. I was homeless, but I told her, 'This is what I have to do.'"
After hitting the big time not long after, Jennifer and Guadalupe's relationship slowly improved, and the "Let's Get Loud" singer learned to understand her mother better.
"My mom is a super complicated woman, and she carries a lot of baggage; she wanted us to be independent and never have to rely on a man," she said in her documentary. "She did what she had to do to survive, and it made her strong, but it also made her tough."
Repairing the rift: J-Lo and her mother today
© Kevin MazurAs the years passed and J-Lo welcomed her own kids, twins Max and Emme, she began to empathize with her Guadalupe's plight as a young mother trying to make ends meet.
For Mother's Day this year, the actress posted a sweet tribute to her mom and all of her hard work. "Happy Mother's Day to my Mommy," she began. "As the years go by, I realize more and more the sacrifices you made of yourself and your dreams to give us the opportunity and strength to live our own."
"I love you and accept you for who you are. I appreciate all of the songs you sang and the dancing in the living room and all the stories you told where I would hang on every word and then cry from laughter at how you told them."
She continued: "Thank you for the joy that you instilled in me. Your resilience and fearlessness lives within my bones and I am forever grateful for the beautiful times, and also for the inevitable difficult times as well."
"They make up our life and our relationship, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you just the way you are. Forever, Jennifer @jlothaqueen_," she finished. Guadalupe has joined her middle child on stage a handful of times to perform a duet, proving that the musical talent in the family runs deep.
Unconditional love: Jennifer’s doting dad
© Jim SmealJennifer and her father, David Lopez, have a special bond that has endured throughout her 55 years. Despite her parents' split in 1999 after 33 years of marriage, J-Lo remains close to her dad and gushes about him at any chance.
Growing up, Jennifer rarely saw David as he tried to make ends meet for his young family. As a computer technician, he often worked nights and slept during the day, leaving the bulk of the parenting to Guadalupe.
"I felt very ignored by my dad because he was always working nights, then all day he would sleep, and I didn't feel like I had enough of a connection with him," she said in her documentary.
Despite never seeing her father, Jennifer knew how proud he was of her with whatever she set her mind to.
© Kevin.Mazur"I feel like he's always been proud since I was like running track when I was 9 or 10 years old," she said on the Today show in 2016. "He was like, 'My daughter runs track!'...It just didn't matter to him. He was just proud of me."
David is always there to remind Jennifer of the love she has in her life whenever the fame gets too much, as she revealed on the show.
"He really thinks about what I go through," she said. "He said to me one time, he goes, 'I just want you to know of all the people in the world, there's one person who just loves you and doesn't want anything from you. You have that in your life.'"
"It was just, like, wow. I have a lot of love in my life."
David, also a Puerto Rican native like Guadalupe, has been a staunch Scientologist for over 30 years. Although she doesn't share his beliefs, the Hustlers star told CBS that he is "the best man that I know in my life", continuing that it was "weird" for people to see the controversial religion negatively.
Sister spotlight: Jennifer and her older sibling Leslie
© KMazurThe mother of two grew up as the middle child of three girls, with her older sister Leslie born in 1967 and her younger sister Lynda welcomed in 1971. As the middle child, Jennifer revealed in her documentary that she would "get lost a little bit in between it all" and that she was "always looking for somebody to make [her] feel loved".
Despite being the middle child, Leslie told Oprah in 2002 that Jennifer was always the star of the show and the ringleader of the three sisters.
"Any plan that was concocted was usually her idea," she said before calling J-Lo "my little pain in the butt sister". Leslie works as a musician and teacher, completing her music education degree at SUNY Purchase and Iona College.
She is part of the Choral Composer/Conductor Collective in New York and has studied opera and musical theatre as well, proving the talented Lopez genes run strong.
Leslie is the mother of two teens, Steven and Brendon; the latter came out as transgender and uses non-binary pronouns, which their aunt Jennifer was supportive of from the beginning.
Growing up Lopez: Jennifer and her younger sister Lynda
© Kevin MazurJ-Lo is close to her younger sister, Lynda, an Emmy award-winning radio and TV journalist.
She is a single mom who welcomed her only child, Lucie, right around the time Jennifer gave birth to her twins. This brought the pair closer than ever, and the "Jenny from the Block" singer sang her praises to Cosmopolitan in 2013.
"I just love and respect her so much. She's a single mom, but not like I'm a single mom," she told the publication. "I have a lot of help- she doesn't."
"I always ask, 'Do you need anything?'" she continued. "And she's like, 'I'm good.' But I know she's exhausted." As typical sisters, Leslie and Jennifer would gang up on Lynda growing up, which is still a talking point in their family.
"When we were kids, the two of them would beat up on me 'cause I'm the youngest," the journalist said, as per People. Jennifer clarified, "We were all very close in age. She's a year and a half younger than me, okay?"
Now, the pair share a tight bond, and J-Lo called her sister her "ride or die" in a touching Instagram tribute to Lynda in 2021. "You light the world and show me what's possible and are my inspiration always. Sometimes I can't believe I was so lucky that God put the beautiful soul that is you into my life," she captioned the post.
