Jennifer Lopez Says She Was Called a ‘Diva’ Because She Works Hard

In a roundtable conversation with Kerry Washington, Kirsten Dunst, Sarah Paulson and other celebrities for The Hollywood Reporter, singer and actress Jennifer Lopez commented on how hard women have to work to escape labels like “diva.”

“I’ve always been fascinated by how much more well-behaved we have to be than men,” Lopez said. “I got a moniker of being ‘the diva,’ which I never felt I deserved—which I don’t deserve—because I’ve always been a hard worker, on time, doing what I’m supposed to do, and getting that label because you reach a certain amount of success.”

“And you care about something enough to give your opinion,” Paulson added.

“Or even sometimes I felt crippled to voice my opinion,” Lopez said. “Especially because certain directors and the boys’ club that they form can make you feel like, ‘Oh, I can’t say anything.’ I was always fascinated by how I could see [a man] being late or being belligerent to a crew and it being totally acceptable; meanwhile, I’d show up 15 minutes late and be berated. And you watch this happen over and over and over again. Like, we’re not allowed to have certain opinions or even be passionate about something, or they’ll be like, ‘God, she’s really difficult.’ It’s like, ‘Am I? Am I difficult because I care?”

The stars went on to discuss other forms of gender discrimination within their industry, and Lopez posted a photo of the powerhouses together:

Read the full interview at The Hollywood Reporter.