Lenny Kravitz doesn't call unwanted sexual encounter assault on teen: 'I wasn't traumatized'

“I lived and I learned,” Kravitz said

Lenny Kravitz is opening up about a sexual encounter he had as a teenager, while denying that what happened to him was assault.

In a cover interview with Squire released Wednesday, the “American Woman” singer, 59, discussed topics including the upcoming release of his first studio album in five years, a tour to follow and people he admires.

The rocker also elaborated on a situation that happened to him when he was younger that changed the way he viewed relationships later in life.

“It was an experience and a lesson. Not everything has to be this way…” Kravitz began when asked about an unwanted sexual act he previously spoke about in his 2020 memoir, Let love speak.

After taking a moment, he continued.

“I'm not saying there aren't things worth addressing – maybe someone would say they should have been addressed and they were, whatever, but it “That was the time,” the “Fly Away” artist said. “I lived and I learned. I was not traumatized. »

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As mentioned by Squire, Kravitz's book sees the Grammy winner explain that the incident happened while his parents were out of town and he was being watched by a family friend. While he was lying in bed, a friend whom the babysitter had invited came into his room, got under the covers with him and touched him without permission.

Once an adult, The hunger Games The actor realized that what happened to him as a teenager had lasting consequences.

“I was not interested in convincing or coercing women,” he wrote in the book, according to the outlet. “I had been forced myself and I didn’t like it.”

Kravitz also shared with Squire that there were instances where he was not an honest partner in his romantic relationships. He shared that he hasn't always had the best luck “being sure this is the person for me, always thinking something else might be better.”

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Reflecting on his past lovers, he added: “I put some people through some tough times.”

Despite his previous actions, the Shotgun Wedding talent has not given up on love or the possibility of perhaps remarrying one day.

Kravitz and Lisa Bonet were married in 1987 before divorcing in 1993. The former couple share one daughter, Zoë Kravitz, 34.

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“I have grown enough. I became stronger. I became more disciplined,” he said. “I became more open to being able to do it. But this was a very difficult thing for me to understand.

The New York native echoed those sentiments in a 2019 PEOPLE exclusive.

“I'm at a point now where I've been through so many relationships, and I haven't always been good at it, at all. I've had a lot to learn, but I feel like I'm at a place where I'm really ready for this.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected with a certified crisis counselor.

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