Jennifer Lopez Reveals Being Homeless Before Hitting Big Time

Jennifer Lopez may now be one of the most successful Hispanic celebrities in America today, but her road to fame and fortune was not without its share of hardship. This was what the singer/actress told in a new W Magazine interview,of how at age 18, she had to leave her parents' home in the Bronx in order to pursue her dreams of being in show business."My mom and I butted heads," Lopez recalls her once conflicting relationship with her mom Guadalupe Rodriguez. "I didn't want to go to college -- I wanted to try dance full-time. So she and I had a break," the 43-year-old entertainer reveals her parents' disapproval over her career choice, prompting her to bravely move out but at the same time forcing her to sleep on a sofa in her dance studio.However, after that brief challenging episode, J.Lo's hard work and perseverance began to bear fruit, leading to her first ever dancing gig in Europe. "When I got back, I booked 'In Living Color.' I became a Fly Girl and moved to L.A.It all happened in a year," Lopez says of her big break in television ina show that featured then budding comedians Jim Carrey and the Wayans brothers.Although she has come a long way from those days and now lives superstar lifestyle in Los Angeles, the Jenny from the Block says nothing compares to living in New York. "All the strength that I neededfor life, I got from that neighborhood," says the "Live It Up" singer.

Ben Affleck Is Still in Touch With Jennifer Lopez

After splitting with Jennifer Lopez 8 years ago, Ben Affleck confessed to The Hollywood Reporter that he still kept in touch with the "On the Floor" singer. However, he explained that it's now more like a supportive friendship.

"We don't have the kind of relationship where she relies on me for advice but we do have the kind of relationship where there'll be an e-mail saying, 'Oh, your movie looks great'," he said to the magazine. He gave his support to the 43-year-old actress when she became the judge of "American Idol", "I said, 'This was really smart. Good luck.' I touch base. I respect her. I like her. She's put up with some stuff that was unfair in her life, and I'm really pleased to see her successful."

He then recalled the lowest point of his career when he had to enter an alcohol rehabilitation center in 2001, "I went to rehab for being 29 and partying too much and not having a lot of boundaries and to clear my head and try to get some idea of who I wanted to be." Yet, he refused to say more about it, "It was more a 'let me get myself straight' before it became a rite of passage."

The 40-year-old actor and film director met the "Maid in Manhattan" actress on the movie set of "Gigli" and they dated shortly after. During their courtship, they were well known as Bennifer. However, they split in January 2004, citing the media scrutiny as the reason of their separation.

Ben has been the husband of Jennifer Garner since June 29, 2005. In the sit-down with THR, the "Argo" movie director also revealed that he kept several guns for family safety. Commenting on the alleged stalker Garner faced recently, he said, "It gave me a stronger sense of feeling protective about my family. There's a lot of crazy, weird people out there. It's an ugly world."