Jennifer Lopez has "mixed emotions" about walking away from her hit police drama Shades of Blue, because her character had really become a part of her.
The superstar has portrayed Detective Harlee Santos on TV since 2016, but last month (Apr18), network bosses at NBC announced the upcoming third season would be its last.
Jennifer, who also executive produces the series, has now revealed she made the decision to end the show on a high because she is itching to "move on" to new projects.
"It's mixed emotions with it (Shades of Blue ending) because I haven't really done a character that I've stayed with for three years like that in the longest time...," she told breakfast show Today.
"This Harlee Santos really became a part of me for three years, and to let it go, and move on to do other things (was tough)."
J.Lo explains continuing with another season would have further delayed other ideas she's been eager to develop, so she had to make a choice.
"We have so many projects we put on hold during those three years (doing Shades of Blue)," she shared.
"Every time, we were like, 'Should we do another season...?' and NBC were into it... and I was just like, 'I can't, I have to go do some other things.'"
Likening the move to her previous stint as a judge on American Idol, the singer/actress continued, "It's almost like when I was doing Idol, I was like, 'I have to go tour, I have to go (do other things)...' You know when it's time to move on."
Lopez, who is putting the finishing touches to her upcoming Spanish album, is also wrapping up her hugely successful Las Vegas concert residency, and she's excited for the next chapter of her career.
"I'm done with Vegas this year, I'm done with Shades this year," she said, "and moving on to a bunch of new projects that we have lined up over the next two years that I'm really excited about - and music, always music."
The final run of Shades of Blue, which will consist of 10 episodes, premieres in the U.S. in June (18).
