Honestly, it feels like we’ve been watching Jennifer Lopez navigate the spotlight forever. From the block in the Bronx to the neon lights of her latest 2026 Las Vegas residency, she’s done it all. But even with the endless headlines about her divorces and high-profile reunions, one question still keeps people hitting up Google: how many kids does jlo have exactly?
The answer is two.
Well, biologically speaking, anyway. If you’ve been following the "Bennifer" saga or her decade-long marriage to Marc Anthony, you know the family tree is a bit more tangled than a simple "two." Life is messy. Hollywood life is messier.
The Core Duo: Emme and Max
Jennifer Lopez shares two children, twins Emme Maribel Muñiz and Maximilian "Max" David Muñiz, with her third husband, Latin music icon Marc Anthony. They were born on February 22, 2008.
Time flies. It really does.
As of early 2026, the twins are 17 years old, and they’re right on the cusp of the big 1-8. Jennifer has been pretty vocal lately about the "brutal" transition of having teenagers who are suddenly too cool to hang out with their mom. We’ve all been there, right? Except most of us don't have to deal with our kids wanting to skip a red carpet premiere for Kiss of the Spider Woman because they have homework—or just because they're being teenagers.
Emme: The Performer
You probably remember Emme from that 2020 Super Bowl halftime show. They (Emme uses they/them pronouns) basically stole the show from their mom for a hot second. Jennifer has described Emme as a "musical theatre kid" through and through. They’ve spent summers at theatre camps and even wrote a children’s book called Lord Help Me back when they were just 13.
Max: The Quiet One
Max is a bit different. He’s often described as the "old soul" of the family. He has a sharp sense of humor and, according to Jen, a massive vocabulary. While he’s appeared on stage briefly during the New Year's 2026 countdown in Vegas, he generally stays further back from the camera than his twin.
The "Almost" Stepkids: The Blended Family Reality
The reason people get confused about the number of kids JLo has usually stems from her marriage to Ben Affleck. When they tied the knot in 2022, Jennifer became a stepmother to Ben’s three children with Jennifer Garner: Violet, Seraphina (now Fin), and Samuel.
For a couple of years, it was a "party of five" situation.
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But as we know, JLo and Ben finalized their divorce in January 2025. Does that mean the kids just stopped being siblings? Not really. Sources close to the family say the five kids—Max, Emme, Violet, Fin, and Samuel—are still incredibly close. They grew up together during a pivotal time. They have the same friend groups. They still text.
Even though the legal "step" title is gone, Jennifer still treats Ben's kids with a lot of love. It’s a complicated, modern family dynamic that doesn't fit into a neat little box.
Navigating the Empty Nest in 2026
Right now, Jennifer is going through what every parent dreads: the college search.
She was recently spotted touring campuses in New York between her press tours. It’s a weird phase. She’s mentioned feeling a mix of pride and total nostalgia. Imagine being JLo and realizing your "coconuts" (her nickname for the twins) are actually about to leave the house.
"I can't believe we've gotten here, just the three of us," she told an audience recently. "It's been a journey."
She really leans into that "three musketeers" vibe with Max and Emme. Since her split from Marc Anthony when the kids were only three, she’s been the primary force in their lives.
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What’s Next for the Muñiz Twins?
With high school graduation coming up in June 2026, the world is watching to see if they’ll follow the family business. Emme clearly has the pipes for Broadway or the recording studio. Max seems like he might take a more behind-the-scenes or academic route, though with those genes, you never know.
If you're keeping track of the "official" count, stick with two. But if you're looking at the heart of the matter, her family is a lot bigger and more inclusive than just a birth certificate suggests.
Key Takeaways for Fans:
- Biological Kids: 2 (Max and Emme).
- Current Age: 17 (turning 18 in Feb 2026).
- Father: Marc Anthony.
- Status: High school seniors currently touring colleges.
- Relationship with Step-siblings: Still close with Ben Affleck’s children despite the 2025 divorce.
If you’re following the 2026 residency or catching her on the big screen, keep an eye out for the twins. They’re no longer the little kids we saw in the "Twin Talk" YouTube videos. They’re adults-in-training, and they’re arguably JLo’s biggest project to date.
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To keep up with the latest on the Muñiz twins' college decisions or Jennifer's upcoming tour dates, you can follow her official social media channels, where she occasionally shares "coconut" updates. You might also want to look into the 2026 tour schedules if you're hoping to catch a rare family appearance on stage.