Lenny Kravitz Explains Why He's Been Celibate for Nearly a Decade

Lenny Kravitz may have the reputation of a rock star and sex symbol, but in what is likely going to be a disappointment to some fans, sex has apparently been the furthest thing from his mind. In a new interview published Thursday, the "Are You Gonna Go My Way" singer admitted that he's actually been celibate for nine years.

Speaking with The Guardian, Kravitz, who just turned 60 this week, was asked about an exchange with his father that he previously opened up about in his 2020 memoir, Let Love Rule. After overhearing his father, television news producer Sy Kravitz, having a phone conversation with another woman and realizing he was having an affair, Kravitz confronted him. However, Sy responded by telling a young Lenny that he’d wind up doing the same thing one day.

When asked if his father was right, Kravitz, who was previously married to Cosby Show actress Lisa Bonet, said that "he became right."

“After the marriage, I became more like him. I was becoming a player," he admitted. "I didn’t like it. I didn’t want to be that guy. So I had to tackle that and it took years." As far as how he fought his demons, Kravitz explained: "By taking responsibility. Discipline. Not letting my own desires take over."

He continued, revealing that he has not been in a serious relationship for nine years, and that he was serious when he previously claimed that he would be celibate until he found the right woman.

"Yes. It’s a spiritual thing," he said, adding that while he’d love to be in a relationship these days, he's worried he might struggle. "I have become very set in my ways, in the way I live."

Kravitz previously opened up about his past infidelities in an Esquire profile last year, but said that he wouldn't rule out getting remarried at some point.

"I put some people through some hard times," he said at the time, noting that he has struggled with settling down with one person without wondering if someone else out there might be better. "The desire has always been there. The tools in which to do so have not always been there."

However, through personal growth and strength, he suggested that he's coming around to the idea of marriage. "I’ve become more disciplined. I’ve become more open to be able to do so," he added. "But it’s been a very difficult thing for me to figure out."

Kravitz's 12th studio album, Blue Electric Light, was just released on May 24.