(Photo: Vanity Fair, September 2011)

Jennifer Lopez sat down with Vanity Fair for her first interview since announcing her split from singer Marc Anthony. She opened up to contributing editor Lisa Robinson about her seven-year marriage to Anthony and the example she hopes to set for her children.

“That was my biggest dream, and I really worked hard at it. We both did,”  Lopez said of her relationship. “Sometimes it doesn’t work—and that’s sad. But I remain an eternal optimist about love. I believe in love,” she continued. “It’s still my biggest dream. I am positive—determined to move forward with my life, bring up my babies, and do the best job I can as a mother, entertainer and person. I now look forward to new challenges. I feel strong.”

Lopez described herself as a hopeless romantic who is passionate when it comes to love, and added that because she loves herself first, she doesn’t hesitate to leave if someone isn’t right for her. But she says there are no hard feelings toward Anthony.

“I will always respect Marc as a singer and performer,” Lopez explains. “We actually work great together, and he was always very supportive. Together we could make magic—and we did. He will always be in our lives. He will always hold a special place in my heart as the father of my children.”

She also talks about her relationship with P. Diddy and breaking off her engagement to Ben Affleck, and addresses the diva-like rumors that surround her.

The September issue of Vanity Fair hits newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on Wednesday, August 3. It will be released nationally and on the iPad on Tuesday, August 9.