Rockstar Lenny Kravitz shared his views on a past unwanted sexual encounter he had as a teenager during a recent interview published by Esquire magazine.
The “American Woman” crooner said he “wasn’t traumatized” by the kind of incident that has caused many emotional and physical reactions and consequences for others.
Kravitz originally shared the encounter in his 2020 memoir “Let Love Rule,” revealing that he was left with a family friend when his parents — star of “The Jeffersons” Roxie Roker and film producer Sy Kravitz — were out of town. The family friend had friends over one evening, and Kravitz said a woman got into his bed and began to touch him.
While he claims he wasn’t affected by the encounter, Kravitz did say it affected how he viewed sex moving forward. “I wasn’t interested in convincing or coercing women,” he wrote. “I’d been coerced myself and didn’t like it.”
After being asked during the Esquire interview if he considered the interaction sexual assault, he said he “wasn’t traumatized” by the incident.
“It was an experience and a lesson,” the “Fly Away” artist said. “Everything doesn’t have to be so… I’m not saying that there aren’t things that deserve to be addressed—maybe somebody would say it should have been addressed and that it was, whatever, but that’s the time it was. I lived, and I learned. I wasn’t traumatized.”
The 59-year-old also spoke about his relationship with his ex-wife, former “The Cosby Show” star Lisa Bonet, and their daughter, actress Zoë Kravitz. The two divorced in 1993 but have maintained a good relationship in the public eye.
Bonet also shares two children with her ex-husband actor, Jason Momoa. Their kids call Kravitz “Uncle Lenny,” and the “Aquaman” star is equally close to the rock star.
“I wouldn’t think of it as this heroic feat,” he says of his blended family. “This is just normal to me.”
Kravitz is also good friends with Denzel Washington, who also spoke about their friendship in the interview. The two raised their children together and continue to be close. Washington has been married to fellow actor Paulette Washington for nearly four decades and they share four kids.
“I don’t know what the definition of a great friend is,” said Washington. “But I am sure there is a picture of Lenny Kravitz next to the words. The best thing I can say about our friendship is that it’s still happening.”
Kravitz is currently single but says he’s open to a relationship as he splits his time between homes in Paris, France, and the Bahamas. His latest album, “Blue Electric Light” drops in early 2024.
