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'We have to be more well-behaved than men': Jennifer Lopez says her 'diva' label is undeserved as she poses for stunning THR cover

Published: 18:04 GMT, 18 May 2016 | Updated: 22:46 GMT, 18 May 2016

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She has been labeled a diva since her music career took off in the 1990s.

But Jennifer Lopez thinks the term is bandied about far too easily for women as she explains in the new issue of The Hollywood Reporter.

'I've always been fascinated by how much more well-behaved we have to be than men' the 46-year-old actress, who stars in NBC's Shades of Blue, said.

TV stars: Jennifer Lopez joins actresses Sarah Paulson, Kirsten Dunst, Kerry Washington, Julianna Margulies, Constance Zimmer and Regina King for a roundtable in the latest issue of The Hollywood Reporter

She explained: 'I got a moniker of being 'the diva,' which I never felt I deserved - which I don't deserve - because I've always been a hard worker, on time, doing what I'm supposed to do, and getting that label because you reach a certain amount of success…

'Or even sometimes I felt crippled to voice my opinion, especially because certain directors and the boys' club that they form can make you feel like, "Oh, I can't say anything."

The mother-of-two said she feels that men can get away with a lot more in the entertainment industry.

'I was always fascinated by how I could see [a man] being late or being belligerent to a crew and it being totally acceptable; meanwhile, I'd show up 15 minutes late and be berated' Lopez described some of her experiences on set

'I got a moniker of being 'the diva,' which I never felt I deserved': Lopez, 46, said she thinks women are expected to be more well-behaved than men in showbiz

'Girls get to do what they want to do': Kerry Washington revealed that she is protected from sexist behaviour working for Shonda Rhimes on Scandal

'I was always fascinated by how I could see [a man] being late or being belligerent to a crew and it being totally acceptable; meanwhile, I'd show up 15 minutes late and be berated.

'And you watch this happen over and over and over again. Like, we're not allowed to have certain opinions or even be passionate about something, or they'll be like, "God, she's really difficult." It's like, "Am I? Am I difficult because I care?"

Lopez posed for a stunning cover shoot for the roundtable feature alongside Sarah Paulson, Kirsten Dunst, Kerry Washington, Julianna Margulies, Constance Zimmer and Regina King.

The Bronx-born beauty wears a pink satin gown with thigh-high slit and sexy stiletto heels.

During the interview Washington, 39, revealed that working for producer Shonda Rhimes on the set of Scandal means that she's been shielded from a lot of the sexist practices that can typically take place on a film set.

If the director is good! Kristen Dunst revealed that she is down for anything when it comes to requests like on-screen nudity

Take a seat: Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story) and Constance Zimmer (UnREAL) wowed in pastel shades for the cover shoot

Old Hollywood glam: Regina King, star of American Crime, was pretty in pink

'I'm in this very surreal environment right now having Shonda Rhimes as my boss, where it's almost the opposite. It is specified in scripts that guys take their shirts off all the time.

'And she has said to all the women on the show: "You want to do a love scene in a parka? You just let me know." So it's this weird, like, reparations moment where the girls get to do what they want to do and the guys get to do what they want to do, but they know what Shonda wants them to do.'

The actresses were asked how they handle it when they're asked to do something they don't feel comfortable with, such as nudity.

Washington joked: 'That's what lawyers or for!' while Dunst, who stars in FX comedy Fargo, said laughingly, 'I'm pretty much down for anything if the director is good'