Jennifer Lopez Revealed She And Her Siblings Were Beaten By Her Mom During Childhood

Superstar Jennifer Lopez is a multitalented entertainer. She has earned many fans as an actress, singer, and dancer. She started her career in 1991 with her dancing role in "In Living Colour." She has since grown in the entertainment industry and was invited to perform at Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021.

On June 8th, she launched a new documentary, "Halftime," on the popular streaming site Netflix. The project revolved around her complicated career and the pressure that came with being in the spotlight.

She also reflected on her relationship with her family and how she grew up. While talking, she surprised fans by revealing that her mother used to hit her. She'd beat her and her sisters when they did something wrong.

Keep reading to find out more details.

"Halftime" specifically shows Lopez's journey through her three-decade-long career. From being independent at barely 18 to performing at the 2020 Pepsi super bowl halftime show. The project was directed by Amanda Micheli, the founder of Runaway Films. In a press release, the film director noted how proud she was of Lopez and the project. 

She said, "It's an honor to be selected for the opening night of Tribeca, and so fitting to be celebrating this critical milestone in Jennifer's life and career just miles from where she grew up!" As reported by Us Weekly, Robert De Niro, the co-founder of the Tribeca film festival, commended Lopez. 

He noted that "Halftime" took a great approach to tell the story and was proud of the project. "Powerful storytelling — whether in music, film, or games — encourages us to fight for universal values that bind humanity together. Halftime featuring Jennifer Lopez, reminds us of that," he said. 

During the documentary, both Lopez and her mother, Guadalupe Rodriguez, admitted that they used to argue very much. Lopez also noted that her mom would beat them when she got frustrated. However, she defended her by saying that it made her stronger. 

"She did what she had to do to survive, and it made her strong, but it also made her tough," Lopez said. "She beat the shit out of us." Rodriguez also came out to defend herself. She noted that she loved her daughter and didn't mean to hurt her. "I was far from the perfect mother. The one thing I can always say, everything I did, I did with their best interest at heart," she said.

Lopez went on to explain that her mother was very complicated. Though she was difficult to understand, she raised them to be independent, and she would always love her for that. 

Another thing Rodriguez admitted to was being a disciplinarian. She expected a lot from the kids but insisted that it was for their own good. She said, "I always had the highest expectations of them. It wasn't to be critical. It was only to show you that you could do better."

She also revealed that Lopez was a tough nut to crack. "And Jennifer, she gave me the hardest time, to tell you the truth. We butted heads a lot." Some other time in the documentary, the "Ain't Your Mama" singer noted that she left home at 18. She was forced to leave because of the constant arguments.

She had to find a way to distract herself, and it was dancing. Her love for dancing grew as it took her mind off of school and her mother. However, this caused a rift between her and Rodriguez. "My mom was like, 'If you're gonna live in this house, you're gonna get your education,'" Lopez recalled. "We got into a bad fight one night and I just left."

The week-old documentary also referenced several of Lopez's award moments. It showed fans how she reacted to her wins and snubs from the Oscars to the Golden Globes Awards. 

She also revealed her thoughts about partnering with Shakira at the halftime show. About the idea, she simply said that having two artists co-headlining was the "worst idea in the world." The Netflix show also includes footage of her live performance at the halftime show.