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Jennifer Lopez: I’ve felt abused in the past

Posted at 11:12 AM, Oct 30, 2014
and last updated 2014-10-30 11:14:27-04

NEW YORK — Not all abuse leaves physical scars, and that’s a reality Jennifer Lopez is exploring in a new memoir. The actress and singer has written a book about a period of self-discovery that occurred around the time of her first world tour in 2012.

While she intended for the project “to be a fan book, a diary of the years I went on tour,” what resulted was a book that helped the star “face a lot,” as she tells People magazine.

One of the things she faces in her memoir are her experiences in past relationships.

“I’ve never gotten a black eye or a busted lip, but I’ve felt abused in one way or another: mentally, emotionally, verbally,” Lopez writes in the book, titled “True Love.”

People magazine notes that the 45-year-old doesn’t name her abuser, nor does she say she was physically abused.

Lopez adds that she intentionally doesn’t divulge details.

“I would never go into specifics about my relationships, and I don’t. But the idea was that I learned something,” she says.

Lopez has tied the knot three times, with her most recent marriage, to singer Marc Anthony, ending in 2011 after seven years. Looking back on all of her past relationships, she says she’s learned to “take care of myself and know my worth.”

“When things are not working out, and you’re not being treated in a way that you want to be treated, you have to look at that because it’s nobody’s fault but yours,” Lopez tells People. “You have to take control and you have to set up your own boundaries. You have the power to change it.”