Jennifer Lopez on her children's struggle with being celebrity kids: 'Not seen for who they are'

Being a celebrity isn't always easy. As it turns out, being a celebrity kid is more challenging. Jennifer Lopez is speaking out about how her children feel about having famous parents. The 53-year-old shares her twins, Max and Emme, with ex-husband Marc Anthony, 54. In an interview with Audacy about her new Netflix film "The Mother," the singer and actress revealed that she wishes that she could shield the 15-year-olds. "The Mother," released on May 12, is about an assassin who is fleeing from dangerous assailants and emerges from hiding to protect her daughter, whom she had abandoned earlier in life.

In light of the film's premise, Lopez disclosed what she would want to protect her children from. "Everything. There are so many things," she explained. "I think being the child of famous parents is not something many people can understand, and I feel for [my kids] for that because they didn't choose that. They have just started letting me know how people treat them—so when they walk into the room, that's what people are thinking about. They're not seeing them for who they are. And I think that has to be a really hard thing for them. So I would love to be able to protect them from that."

Lopez added that she would protect her kids from "being judged." "Everybody has to deal with being bullied like you said; it doesn't matter who you are, you can get bullied," she elaborated. "But being judged by people that you don't even know in a way is I think really difficult for them to grow up and be themselves. They know that there's a lens on them, and that's hard."

Lopez also highlighted that it is "probably not [a] very relatable thing to say because a lot of people don't understand it—but it's hard for them, I think. And I did that to them, and so again we have this guilt as moms, what we do and what we brought into their lives. So there's that part."

She also discussed how pain is an unavoidable part of life. "I think I would want to protect them from everything. You don't ever want them to feel a moment of pain in their lives, but that's not realistic," Lopez explained. "You realize as you get older, OK, the pain is necessary. The pain is actually good. The pain kind of makes you feel a little bit like a warrior when you get through it."

In February, Lopez celebrated her twins turning 15 and took to Instagram to post about their birthday celebration. She expressed in the caption, "Happy birthday to my beautiful, brilliant coconuts. I am so proud of you both in every single way. You bring so much joy and happiness to my heart and soul. I love you beyond forever. HAPPY BIRTHDAY." The post had an adorable compilation of short video clips showcasing their childhood, her love for them and how much they have grown.  

While talking to TODAY's Hoda Kotb, Lopez talked about how good of a father Ben Affleck is to his stepchildren while they deal with such struggles. "Well, he's a wonderful, wonderful father. And a father figure to [Max and Emme] as well because he has his own three beautiful children, and then there's us. He's fantastic. He really steps up to the challenge of what that is and what that means," she said of Affleck. "And they love him. They love him. And they appreciate him, and so do I." It is clear that although celebrity kids are born with a certain privilege, it is harder for them to have an individual identity.