Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesGetting divorced is not ideal, especially if the entire world is watching and you have two children together, but Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony made it seem that you can go through it and manage to stay friends.
Through the history of Hollywood's famous divorces, we've seen things get really ugly, and we were almost fearful that this would be the case when the singer announced that she was separating from Marc in 2011. Contrary to expectations, these exes were respectful and made it work, noting that it takes two people acting accordingly to achieve these results. Emme and Max's parents never went at each other publicly, and it's probably the best decision they made.
This weekend, Marc and his new wife Shannon de Lima went to see Lopez' Las Vegas residency show, "All I Have." This entire scenario could have been the epitome of an awkward situation for any wife, imagine having to see your husband's ex-wife perform—especially if she's J.Lo—but Shannon and Casper Smart played it cool, and we applaud them for that.
"Having an amazing time in Vegas #jlo all I have amazing show. Congrats baby!" Shannon captioned the photo of herself with Anthony, J. Lo, Casper and other friends. One big happy family, and why shouldn't they be? They've all moved on. Some were shocked by the friendly post, but this isn't the first time we see a gathering of this sort.
In 2013, the family celebrated Cristian's birthday, Marc's son with former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres, and J.Lo shared a happy photo of the entire gang. Both the singer and Marc went on to split from their significant others shortly after. Eventually, Marc got back with Shannon, and they got married in 2014. While Lopez and Smart spent some time apart, but also rekindled their relationship.
Happy Birthday Cristian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #houseparty #FAMILIA pic.twitter.com/vHAzkSAW
— Jennifer Lopez (@JLo) February 7, 2013
This is how Lopez and Marc made it work after their divorce:
1. No Trash Talking: This is one of the hardest things not to do. At the end of your relationship, especially if it isn't amicable, it's so easy to be a little mean and say things you probably shouldn't. But we didn't see that from either of these two. Lopez did many interviews where she discussed her feelings about the divorce and even went on to say that she knew the marriage wasn't right early on, "I hung in there for seven years," Lopez said to W. "I knew very quickly that it wasn't the right thing." Even in her book "True Love," the singer explains the fall of her marriage and keeps details to a minimum. The two never insulted one another.
2. They Count on One Another: When Lopez and Marc first got together, we all wanted to see them sing their song "No Me Ames." After they separated, we never thought we'd see them on the same stage again, but they did the unexpected. Lopez was hoping that Marc could perform with her, one year after their separation, at her concert in Puerto Rico in 2012, and he did. Marc flew to the Island and surprised fans. Yes, they sang their duet, and we almost cried watching it during her HBO documentary "Dance Again." It was as if they closed the chapter of their marriage with the same song that brought them together for the first time.
3. Co-parenting Is Important to Them: You can find these two stars having joint birthday parties for their adorable twins, and we love that because that's what #familia is all about.
"I feel it's my responsibility as a mom when their dad is not there to let them know that their dad loves them very much because that's the doubt that they have when he's not around, or they haven't seen him. That's my job to do that the same way it's his job when he's with them to say, ‘Mommy is working, and she loves you,'" Lopez said during an Arianna Huffington on HuffPost Live Tuesday.
4. No Drama: Many ex-husbands and ex-wives cannot stand to be in the same room with each other, let alone with their new spouses, but as we've seen that isn't the case here. Marc and Lopez will gladly take pictures with their ex-spouses and their new partners.
5. They're Real: These two haven't just made this seem easy, Lopez has been honest about the heartbreak that she suffered during her divorce. In her book and multiple interviews, the 47-year-old singer got real about her marriage, and it's many imperfections. She made it clear, that even after a divorce, it takes a lot of work to be in a healthy space with one another.
"When my marriage ended, it was not easy to find forgiveness. It wasn't the dream that I had hoped for, and it would have been easier to fan the flames of resentment, disappointment, and anger. But Marc is the father of my children, and that's never going away. So, I have to work to make things right. And that is, by far, the hardest work I do," she said to W.
Divorce isn't part of the plan, but it's refreshing to see celebs in Hollywood showing us that although it can be difficult, you can be friends even after your marriage is over. Thanks, Marc and Jennifer!