Jennifer Lopez felt sorry for Britney

Mar 9, 2009, 10:40 GMT

Jennifer Lopez sympathises with Britney Spears' "painful" breakdown.

Jennifer, who has kept a low-profile since marrying husband Marc Anthony and becoming a mother, was shocked by Britney's erratic behaviour in 2008 - which saw her hospitalised for mental health issues.

Talking of Britney's breakdown, Jennifer said: "That was painful to watch."

Britney's problems escalated in January 2008, shortly after her divorce from Kevin Federline. She was hospitalised after refusing to return sons Sean Preston, three, and Jayden James, two, to Kevin.

Jennifer - who was previously married to Cuban-born waiter Ojani Noa and dancer Cris Judd - also says she can relate to Britney's heartbreak following her marriage split.

Jennifer, 39, added: "I understood the pressure she was going through, having been through a divorce, having money, having people depend on you. It will destroy you."

The singer-and-actress revealed she and Marc - who have one year old twins Max and Emme together - have their own way of handling disagreements to ensure their relationship stays healthy.

She explained to InTouch weekly magazine: "If one of us has a complaint, the other one has to listen, no matter how difficult. We have to see if we care enough to change it and if we do care, then we have to change it."

Jennifer also praised Marc's positive attitude to fatherhood, saying: "I can ask him to get up in the middle of the night if one of the kids wakes up. Every single time he'll say OK. That's a huge thing. If you have a partner who doesn't think it's their job - and I know people who think babies are a woman's job - then that's really hard."