Jennifer Lopez stayed in bad relationships because she feared being alone

Speaking to PEOPLE magazine, Jennifer - who was on one of the People of the Year covers along with Taylor Swift, Jennifer Aniston and Michelle Obama this year - said: "I did get into relationships, sometimes the wrong ones for the wrong reasons because I didn’t like being alone. Now that (fear) is gone and I’m okay on my own. That was a big journey for me."

Jennifer is now engaged to Alex Rodriguez, 44, and revealed that it was only after she came to terms with being on her own that she was open to love with him.

She explained: "When I really figured out you don’t need anybody to complete you and you can be happy on your own, the shift happened (and) all of sudden I wasn’t alone. You do actually find that person.

"We continue to do the work, he continues to work on himself, I continue to work on myself and we work together.

"You fall in love when you’re younger, make impulsive decisions - and I have certainly been guilty of that and not thinking the whole thing through - but this is me thinking it through. We’re taking our time (and) being thoughtful."

Jennifer and Alex got engaged during a trip to the beach on their romantic holiday in the Bahamas in March this year and Jennifer called the engagement a "blessing".

She said: "It's a blessing! When you find you, really find you, that's when everything starts falling into place. I feel more confident and at peace with who I am and more aware of what I bring to the table, but that was a huge journey."