Jennifer Lopez: 'There's Nothing Wrong With Me Or My Shape'!

Jennifer Lopez sparkles and shines on the cover of Cosmopolitan for Latinas‘ Winter 2013 issue, on newsstands October 29.

Here’s what the 43-year-old entertainer and American Idol judge had to share with the mag:

On Latinos that have inspired her throughout the years: “I was really moved watching West Side Story as a young girl and seeing Puerto Ricans star in it. Even though it wasn’t the best depiction of us, they still have the passion and love that I relate to – not to mention the singing and dancing! Rita Moreno became a hero to me.”

On taking criticism about her body type: “Early on, my family really made me love who I was and what I looked like. My body was nothing out of the ordinary in my neighborhood. When I first started on television [as a Fly Girl on In Living Color], people, and even my own manager at the time, would tell me I had to make all of these changes. But you have to stand up and say, ‘There’s nothing wrong with me or my shape or who I am, you’re the one with the problem!’ And when you can really believe that, all of a sudden other people start believing too.”

On how she does it all: “One day somebody told me I had to perform in front of 35,000 people on the set of Selena. I didn’t know how to do it. I just said to myself: Don’t think about it. You can do this and you’ll be great. I walked out onto that stage. And then I did. I’ve been following that rule ever since.”

For more from JLo, visit Cosmopolitan.com.