Lenny Kravitz: Details About The Let Love Rule Hitmaker
Leonard Albert Kravitz, known by his stage name Lenny Kravitz, is a man who wears many hats (and at least one giant scarf). If there's one person who recognizes how far he has come over the course of his decades-long career, it's Kravitz. "I was the guy you hired to make your demos," he recalled to The Guardian in 2018. "I did whatever I had to do to survive." Survive he did.
In addition to being a genre-bending rocker, his other passions include but are not limited to acting, interior design, and photography. Much like acting, photography runs in his blood: His father, Seymour Kravitz had a way with the lens, working as a photojournalist. In 2015, Kravitz published the book "Flash" in 2015, a collection of photos he took of paparazzi and fans trying to snap a photo of him. He told Billboard, "It turned it from something that would be annoying into something that's challenging and interesting."
This out-of-the-box kind of thinking has afforded the four-time Grammy award winner an adventurous life, one whose details certainly warrant a deep dive.
He had a 'hardcore' upbringing
Born as the only child to television producer Seymour "Sy" Kravitz and "The Jeffersons" actor Roxie Roker, Lenny Kravitz had a childhood that he defined as "hardcore" to W Magazine. Seymour, who was a former Marine, did not let much slide. "[I]t was heavy discipline. There was a lot about keeping your room straight and your bed as well," Lenny said.
By virtue of having parents in the entertainment business, Lenny's childhood wasn't shy of famous figures. Iconic "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" actor Cicely Tyson was his godmother; "Dynasty" actor Diahann Carroll was like an aunt to him.
The marriage between Seymour and Roker wasn't a squeaky-clean affair, and Lenny even confronted the former over his infidelity. During an appearance on CNN, the "I'll Be Waiting" singer looked back on the chilling interaction with his father that happened when his parents' marriage reached rock bottom. "He walked up to me, and he looked me in my eye, and said, 'You'll [cheat] too.'And he walked out," Lenny revealed. True to Seymour's prediction, Lenny unceremoniously ended an engagement when he fell in love with "The Cosby Show" favorite Lisa Bonet.
He gave one of his songs to Madonna
Although he grew up in the spotlight, Lenny Kravitz had to put in work to make a name for himself in the industry. Long before he became a star, Kravitz shared on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" that he happened to be pals with fellow aspiring musician Mariah Carey. (One might say things worked out for both parties.) In a conversation with The New York Times, Kravitz shared that he recorded his debut album, "Let Love Rule," with the help of future ex-wife Lisa Bonet. The body of work was released in 1989. Though it achieved fair success in the United States, it was more popular in Europe.
As a songwriter and producer, Kravitz gained notoriety for Madonna's No. 1 single "Justify My Love." He revealed on "The Howard Stern Show" that he didn't keep the song for himself because it did not quite fit his style. "I wrote this song, and I knew it wasn't for me," said Kravitz. " I just knew it...This is not something I would do." Out of the partnership also emerged a rumor that the pair was having an affair, one which Kravitz vehemently denied during an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen." When Andy Cohen asked whether sparks flew post the recording session, Kravitz replied, "It never did. That's the truth. Always been really good friends."
Lenny Kravitz's style is not limited to fashion
Lenny Kravitz spots a sleek fashion sense that's a result of experimentation. His choice of bold, edgy, pieces has evolved over the years, but what holds water is his preference for dark sunglasses and the thick, healthy dreadlocks that have become his signature style. This choice, he said in a 2020 interview with WWD, is all about being his truest self, even if it means being his own tailor: "I even make clothes. I make jeans and things for myself. But it's about a vibe and for me, I like it to be elegant but at the same time street and rock 'n' roll." In 2022, his unstoppable style earned him The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Icon of the Year award.
Clearly, Kravitz has a passion for fashion, and that passion extends to interior design. Since launching Kravitz Designs in 2003, he has worked with a long list of clients including the set for "The Queen Latifah Show," Sony Pictures, and renowned jewelry company Swarovski. Unsurprisingly, the rocker maintains that a solid design can take a room to the next level. As he explained in a 2019 chat with Etalk, "It's not about the size of the place, it's really about what you do with that space."
Lenny Kravitz released a memoir in 2020
After three decades as an entertainer, Lenny Kravitz finally had a lot to say, and a book was a perfect way to do it. Named after his debut studio album, "Let Love Rule," the book hit the shelves in 2020. The memoir provides an account of the first 25 years of Kravitz's life, stopping right around the time he released his first album. This cliffhanger suggests that there's likely to be a second book, one which bears all the mess. "Let Love Rule," according to Kravitz's interview with The New York Times, features life-changing encounters such as meetings with the Jackson 5 and Prince, Kravitz's relationship with his superstar mother, and his bilateral upbringing; racially, religiously, and geographically.
The book has since attracted glowing reviews, including one from Washington Independent that reads in part: "Luckily for him and us, he possesses the talent and perspective to examine and share that story with a hard-won grace and maturity." Funny enough, Kravitz wasn't keen on releasing a memoir at all. "First of all, I never thought of writing a book. I didn't want to write a book. It was not in my mind," Kravitz disclosed on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah." It took a nudge from his co-author, David Ritz, for him to get on board.
He spends luxuriously and makes more
Lenny Kravitz is a proven hitmaker, and those hits have been good to his net worth. As of a 2018 feature in The Guardian, Kravitz had racked up $40 million in album sales alone. Outside of music, his print publications, such as a photographic chronicle of his career, are sure to make good bank, too. In addition to designing rooms for big deal clients, the "Fly Away" singer's camera design that he created with Leica retailed at $24,000, according to Forbes.
Kravitz knows the business of his brand, and when it comes to spending that paper, he leaves no stone unturned. In October 2022, Vanity Fair reported that Kravitz had splashed a whooping $300,000 on a Cadillac design, specifically tailored for exploring the City of Lights. "I want it to be sort of a nighttime vehicle going through the streets of Paris. I want it to just hover there at night," Kravitz said of his luxurious purchase. "And I'm only going to go where you can park it right in front."
He believes in giving back
A lot has been given to Lenny Kravitz, and he has taken the initiative to pay it forward. The art of giving back is one he learned from his actor mom. "My mother always taught me—and I didn't understand it when I was a small child—but she always said that charity begins at home," Kravitz shared in an interview with W Magazine. Clearly, this is something he's taken to heart.
Through his nonprofit, the Let Love Rule Foundation, Kravitz helped set up a dental clinic near his home in the Bahamas. "It was something I knew needed to be done just from living here and seeing my friends and people that live here in this town with me, seeing them being in so much pain," he told CNBC in 2019. Per Look to the Stars, he's also involved with a number of other charities, including Zero Hunger, Amnesty International, and Live Earth. What's more, he has lent his voice to a number of social causes. In his 2019 video for the song "Here to Love," he partnered with the United Nations to add to the fight against racism.
While fame, fortune, and success are nice and all, Kravitz puts doing good above all else. "I was thinking yesterday, 'Man, I just want to sell everything I own,'" he told People in 2019. "There are a lot of things I can get rid of that aren't important to me anymore, and even if they are, not more important than helping somebody."
Inside Lenny Kravitz's love life
From 1987 to 1993, Lenny Kravitz was married to America's "The Cosby Show" crush, Lisa Bonet. The pair's daughter, Zoë Kravitz, was born in 1988. In an 2019 interview with People, Lenny confirmed that his relationship with Bonet had taken a different turn since their divorce. "We're like brother and sister," he said.
Prior to meeting Bonet, Kravitz had a crush on Tisha Campbell. As detailed in the book "Let Love Rule," Kravitz was fascinated by Campbell's hazel eyes and street smarts. During an appearance on "The Tamron Hall Show," Campbell said of their romance, "I never told people I dated him because I felt like, all of a sudden people are like, 'Reeally?”' Since splitting with Bonet, Kravitz has been linked to a number of women. In the '90s, he cozied up to French singer Vanessa Paradis, whose albums he helped make. Kravitz was also once the fiancé of one of Zoë Kravitz's "Big Little Lies." "I knew Zoë because I was engaged to her father," Nicole Kidman divulged in an interview with The Edit (via Entertainment Tonight).
Is Kravitz keen on getting hitched again? Absolutely, as long as they're on the same page. As he told Glamour UK, his ideal woman has to fit into his mobile lifestyle. "When you have a tour booked for a year and half, you know where you have to be. You definitely have to find somebody who can move around," he remarked.
He and Zoë Kravitz talk about everything under the sun
The relationship between Lenny Kravitz and his only child, Zoë Kravitz, is easy breezy. The father and daughter duo are like two peas in a pod, and it sounds like the two are beyond comfortable with keeping things transparent. As Lenny told People in a 2020 interview, "Zoë and I have a very open dialogue. We can talk about anything and everything."
Just like her superstar parents, Zoë is a talented actor whose breakout role was that of Angel Salvadore in "X-Men: First Class." She made her "Saturday Night Live" debut in March 2022, a real full circle moment for the family. As Lenny wrote on Instagram. "To see you shine in the same building where your grandparents met and worked was surreal. You were perfection. I love you endlessly, " the "Precious" actor wrote of his daughter.
Lenny told People that he modeled his own bond with his daughter off of his own mother's bond with her father. "They loved each other, and they valued each other. So when I see the relationship between Zoë and myself, I see the relationship between my mother and my grandfather," he shared.
Lenny Kravitz has a troupe of famous friends
Lenny Kravitz has a number of celebrity friends, some of whom he's known for ages. Supermodel Naomi Campbell and Kravitz share a dear bond, one which the latter acknowledged on Campbell's 50th birthday. "What a ride it has been and the best is on the horizon," Kravitz wrote on Twitter, alongside a picture of the pair. "You have been a true friend and a sister."
Similarly, Kravitz and "Love Don't Cost a Thing" singer Jennifer Lopez have been in each other's lives for a good amount of time. Kravitz posted a heartfelt note to the "Maid in Manhattan" actor on Instagram when they finally collaborated on a project, 2022 action comedy "Shotgun Wedding." "It was an experience that I will always cherish," he wrote. And of course, there's Kravitz's long history with Mariah Carey. When the two crossed paths in Morocco in 2012, they not only took a photo together, but kindly shared that photo on social media. "We go waaaaaaaaayyy back! Before we were both making music," Kravitz wrote. If you are the company you keep, then Kravitz is about as iconic as one can get.
His unlikely bromance with Jason Momoa
Although some celebrities have made headlines for having unhealthy relationships with their former partners, the same cannot be said for Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet's second husband, Jason Momoa. The two have an unlikely bromance and a lovely blended family. In a 2020 conversation with Men's Health, Kravitz explained that love ruled on their first meeting. "[A]s far as Jason and I? Literally the moment we met, we were like, 'Oh, yeah. I love this dude,'" he shared.
Bonet and Momoa announced their separation in January 2022, but it sounds Momoa and Kravitz's bond is as strong as ever. The rocker's Instagram followers were certainly delighted when he shared a picture of himself and Momoa in March 2022. In the Instagram shot, both actors appeared to have stopped by the roadside after a bike ride, with Momoa's arm stretched towards Kravitz who was all smiles. "Ride or die. Brothers for life," Kravitz's caption read.
The public show of love between Kravitz and the "Aquaman" star goes both ways. Momoa not only got himself and Kravitz matching rings from an independent artist, but he posted a snap they took together on Instagram. In a conversation with ET, he said of his gesture, "My friend, he made this bone ring since I wanted to get one, and he liked it so I wanted him to have one."
The secret behind Lenny Kravitz's abs
Lenny Kravitz's ripped abs are hard to miss. In 2020, Men's Health headed to his home on the island of Eleuthera, and the rocker got into all things health and fitness. He sure loves exercise, and he has his grandfather to thank for that. "He lived up until his 90s, but even up into his 80s, he was ripped," Kravitz said. "He had a workout that he would do in the backyard that consisted of a tree and a leather belt and, like, a broom handle. All resistance." Like his grandfather, Kravitz keeps a minimalist exercise routine that includes a tree. He shared bits of his workout regime with Men's Health, a routine that simply utilizes a few dumbbells, one bar, and a pair of barbells.
At the center of Kravitz's fit life is his trainer Dodd Romero, who's shared post-workout pictures on Instagram in the past. And as far as diet goes, the musician eats a lot of green vegetables and fruits. "A great blessing of living in the Bahamas is that I'm able to grow my own food, so I have a garden where most of this food comes from," Kravitz shared. He also noted he follows a raw vegan diet. When he does decide to step outside his diet, he enjoys carbs.
His beauty tips for aging backward
Born in 1964, Lenny Kravitz continues to maintain a youthful look. Age is clearly just a number in Kravitz's books, and in addition to the organic lifestyle he's chosen, there are more beauty tricks up his sleeve. "The things that I use on my body are the same that I've always used," Kravitz said in a sit-down with Vogue, citing coconut oil, shea butter and cocoa butter as part of his skincare routine. The sand near one of his homes also plays a part in Kravitz's glow. "We have the most beautiful sand here in the Bahamas—it's very, very, very powdery, very, very fine," he explained. "So when I'm in the ocean, and I want to scrub my body, I use the sand."
Kravitz told Vanity Fair that he's a fan of Dr. Bronner's almond soap, which serves an all-purpose function. As far as care for his trademark mane goes, Kravitz let InStyle know that Aloe vera from his home garden keeps his dreadlocks healthy. Needless to say, when beauty giant YSL was looking for a face to represent its Y fragrance, Lenny Kravitz made the perfect fit. He most likely smells as good as he looks.
He embraces the Brazilian farm life
When he's not walking red carpets and lending an ear to all the noise Hollywood has to offer, Lenny Kravitz takes to the countryside. He happens to own a ranch in Brazil, complete with rare-to-find décor and a fully functional gym. The stunning property was featured on Architectural Digest in 2019. "Welcome to my Fazenda," Kravitz said at the top of his tour. "Fazenda is 'farm' in Portuguese, and I'm the fazendeiro. I'm the farmer."
As is the case with Kravitz, the green way of life doesn't simply leave. It shows itself in Brazil, in a big way. Rows upon rows of produce cover a hilly landscape, trees are a few feet apart, some of them as tall as a tower, herds of cattle are seen running around, and art is made out of banana leaves. Still, a large swimming pool area adds a modern touch to an already serene environment. "This is an amazing place to come and be creative," Kravitz told the outlet.
His breezy life on the farm in Brazil is in many ways a contrast to the singer's Parisian townhouse. As British Vogue noted, his place in the City of Lights features glittering chandeliers, a sweeping staircase, and a coffee table that's a work of art.
How he keeps his feet on the ground
That Lenny Kravitz oozes a strong sense of self is no secret. This down-to-earth aspect of his personality was noted by "The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah, during Kravitz's 2020 appearance. "Every time I see you, I feel like you have unlocked a cheat code to life that makes you more relaxed and more cool than any other human being on the planet," Noah complemented. While Kravitz credited gratitude as the fuel that keeps him going in response to Noah's observation, there have been life experiences that have shaped his perspective.
One such encounter happened when Kravitz was a child, as he narrated on "Oprah's Master Class." A young Kravitz had fallen ill, and a conversation with a boy at a hospital led him to feel an intense, unexplained God-like presence.
Off religion, Kravitz owes his grounded energy to his mother, Roxie Roker, who wasn't fazed by stardom. Roker lived her life like it was normal. "My mom, you know, she was on this television show that was, you know, iconic and historical...and very successful. And...my mom...we didn't have a housekeeper, my mom cooked all the meals," Kravitz disclosed on "Front and Center." Roker set the pace and Kravitz continued to walk it.