Jennifer Lopez has opened up about the qualities she now seeks in a romantic partner, revealing that anyone entering her life must respect and accept her fully. The superstar shared these reflections while performing her 1999 hit, “If You Had My Love,” during her Las Vegas residency on Saturday night.

Reflecting on the song more than two decades after its release, Lopez told the audience, “When I first sang it, I was very young… and I sang it with a lot of hope.” She added that over the years, she has performed it through moments of sadness and happiness, but now delivers it “in power.”

“Because the truth is, if you wanted to have my love, you would have to earn it,” she declared to loud cheers. “You would have to treat me right. You would have to respect me. You’d have to accept me for all that I am. You’d have to love me if you wanted my love.”

At 56, Lopez acknowledged that love is inherently complicated. “You can’t have love without heartbreak,” she said. “You can’t. That’s what you sign up for.”

The singer and actress also wove humour into her reflections on past relationships, including her divorce from Ben Affleck. Referencing her previous Vegas residency, Jennifer Lopez: All I Have, she joked about the passage of time: “It went by in a blink, didn’t it, for those of you who were there on opening night 10 years ago? And, you know, at that time I’d only been married twice… That’s not true. It was only once. Felt like twice. I’m just kidding.”

Lopez concluded her commentary on love with a positive note. “It’s over and we just, boom, and it’s fine. It’s all good. The good news is that I’m learning and I’m growing. We’re in our happy era right now,” she said, underlining her current focus on personal growth and empowerment.

Below is a summary of Jennifer Lopez’s marital history:

Lopez’s candid reflections suggest that her future relationships will be guided by self-respect, mutual understanding, and emotional maturity—an evolution shaped by her experiences in love, career, and personal growth.