Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet had a one-of-a-kind love because the iconic rocker is still talking about the impact of it more than 30 years after they divorced.
“I am what I am because of our experience, because of everything that I was, everything that she was and everything that came together,” Kravitz told PEOPLE in a new cover story.
The former couple met backstage in an elevator at a New Edition concert in 1985. At the time, Bonet was popular because of her work on The Cosby Show while Kravitz’s career hadn’t yet taken off. The artists first became friends and eventually evolved into lovers.
During the interview with PEOPLE, he reminisced on the way Bonet inspired his locks, which have become a signature part of his look.
“I had moved in with Lisa, brought my instruments and things, but somehow forgot my comb,” he recollected. “I never planned on dreading, but after a few months my hair was matting. Lisa was like, ‘Keep it. It looks good.’”
The “Fly Away” singer added, “I wasn’t thinking, ‘Oh, this is sexy.’ I was just living and doing,” he said. “I was married to the most beautiful woman on the planet, incredible inside and out, and I wasn’t paying attention to that. I was paying attention to the music.”
Kravitz and Bonet went on to get married in Las Vegas on November 1987, which happened to be the actress’ 20th birthday. A year later, in 1988, they gave birth to their only child together, Zoë Kravitz.
“We were quite the family,” he said during the interview. “We had our own groove, expression, fashion. It was a beautiful time. The world Zoë’s mom and I were creating, our family, it was about peace, love and spirit.”
The talented couple didn’t stay married very long though, separating in 1991 before getting divorced two years later. Neither of them have shared details about the reason for the split. That said, they have remained very good friends.
“The love doesn’t leave you, but it has to find a new way to funnel itself into a new life,” Kravitz said. “We consciously wanted to do that. It took time, believe me, but she is a part of my life that will never leave my heart, my soul or my spirit. I am what I am because of our experience.”
Bonet went on to marry actor Jason Momoa in 2017 after a long-term relationship dating back to 2005. The two separated in 2022 and the actress officially filed for divorce in January 2024. They share two children together. As for Kravitz, he never remarried, but he was engaged to model Adriana Lima and actress Nicole Kidman in the early aughts.
Although their romance didn’t last, Bonet and Kravitz’s relationship and respect for one another is a testament to the fact that love can. Check out photos of the two from over the years, some from their years as lovers, others from their years as friends.
