Gwyneth Paltrow & Jennifer Lopez “Want to Die” Over Online Criticism

Likewise, J.Lo often feels the need to “cleanse every once in a while.”

She said that mentality has worked well for her to push aside negative criticism about her personal life to focus on her work. 

“From the very beginning, for whatever reason, I’ve been a lightning rod for nice things and a lot of negativity,” Jennifer explained. “And it’s hard because you say to yourself, ‘These people don’t get me. They don’t see me. They don’t understand me.’ Then all of a sudden they do. And then they don’t again.”

But the Grammy nominee does what she can, reminding herself that she “did good today” and “was a good person” who worked hard and was kind to those around her, adding, “That has always helped me through.”

The two also shared similar experiences when it came to the criticism they received from the public after branching out from their respective careers.

“When I stepped back to be an entrepreneur around 2008, I really confused and upset people,” Gwyneth recalled. “Nobody understood what I was doing, and I faced a lot of criticism and confusion over the course of the 17 years since I sent out my first Goop newsletter.”

J.Lo felt the same about pursuing a music career after successful films like Selena and Out of Sight.

“It was such a big deal,” she recounted. “People were like, “They’re never going [to] take you seriously as an actor ever again.’”

But as Gwyneth—who was at one time engaged to Jennifer’s ex-husband Ben Affleck—pointed out, “You had the No. 1 movie and the No. 1 album in the same time, right?”

Indeed, Jennifer topped the musical charts in February 2001 with her album J.Lo and had the number one film at the box office with The Wedding Planner, with her noting that she was actually in the Guinness Book of Records. 

“But that’s the thing,” she added, “everybody’s always trying to tell you: ‘You can only do this,’ or ‘You can only do that.’ I had my perfume line. I had my clothing lines. I have my J Lo beauty now. You have to just do what feels good for you.”

For a look back at Jennifer’s evolution over the years, keep reading.