Jennifer Lopez: 'I Love Myself Enough' To Leave Marc Anthony

When Jennifer Lopez ended her seven-year marriage to Latin singer Marc Anthony last month, she did it for the love of a very special someone – herself. "It's not that I didn't love myself before," Lopez, 42, told Vanity Fair. "Sometimes we don't realize that we are compromising ourselves…. I love myself enough to walk away from that now."

The American Idol judge said she will always maintain deep feelings for her third husband and father of her twins, Emme and Max, born in 2008. "I will always respect Marc as a singer and performer," Lopez said. "We actually work great together, and he was always very supportive. Together we could make magic — and we did. He will always be in our lives. He will always hold a special place in my heart as the father of my children."

Despite the love she felt for Anthony, 42, Lopez said that marriage is "tough," and that it can be just as tough to leave when things are not right. "To understand that a person is not good for you, or that that person is not treating you in the right way, or that he is not doing the right thing for himself — if I stay, then I am not doing the right thing for me," she said.

The "On the Floor" singer said, though, that she is not giving up on love and still thinks of herself as a "hopeless romantic." She said marriage was her "biggest dream" and it was "sad" to have to end it. "But I remain an eternal optimist about love," she added. "I believe in love. It's still my biggest dream. I am positive — determined to move forward with my life, bring up my babies, and do the best job I can as a mother, entertainer, and person. I now look forward to new challenges. I feel strong."

Lopez, whose eight albums and singles have together sold over 55 million copies, will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year. She has just negotiated a contract with Idol that will pay her $20 million for the season, The Wrap reports.