Lenny Kravitz shares details about a past teenage sexual experience and asserts that he does not consider the incident to be an assault.
In a recent interview with Esquire, the singer addressed various topics, including new music and an upcoming tour, and elaborated on an incident from his youth that altered his perception of relationships later. When questioned about the unwanted sexual act that he previously mentioned in his 2020 memoir, Kravitz said, “It was an experience and a lesson. Everything doesn’t have to be so…”
He continued, “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.”
In Kravitz’s book, he recounts how the incident unfolded during his parents’ absence, with a family friend entrusted to look after him. While he lay in his bed, a guest invited by the caregiver entered his room, slipped under the covers with him, and engaged in inappropriate touching without consent. As Kravitz reached adulthood, he understood that the incident from his teenage years had enduring consequences.
Kravitz also admitted to times when he wasn’t a good partner in his romantic relationships. He acknowledged that he didn’t consistently have the confidence to believe that his current partner was the right fit, often entertaining the idea that something better might come. Despite his past behavior, Kravitz has not abandoned the prospect of love nor ruled out the possibility of eventually entering into a new marriage.
“I’ve grown enough, I’ve become stronger, I’ve become more disciplined,” he said. “I’ve become more open to being able to do so. But it’s been a very difficult thing for me to figure out.”
