Zoë Kravitz Reflects on Leaving Lisa Bonet at 11 to Live with Dad Lenny: 'She Was So Focused on Preserving My Innocence'

Mar. 15, 2025

Zoë Kravitz for the September 2024 issue ofEsquire.Photo:Zoey Grossman/EsquireZoë Kravitzis looking back on her decision to live with dadLenny Kravitzafter his breakup with her motherLisa Bonet.TheBlink Twicedirector and co-writer, 35, opened up about that period in her life in a wide-ranging interview forEsquire, alongside a photoshoot for the magazine’s September 2024 issue.“I think it was very hurtful that I moved away from her to be with my dad and my dad wasn’t even there,” Zoë said of Bonet, recalling the time she relocated to New York City from Miami and musician Lenny, now 60, left soon after to tour.Zoë added of Bonet, now 56, “I just wish I had been able to appreciate what she was doing for me.““She was so focused on preserving my innocence. My creativity. Because she knew what the world is — that you don’t get that back,” theBatmanactress added.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.From L: Zoë Kravitz, Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz in Los Angeles on Feb. 10, 2016.Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagicOne example? Bonet changing her own name to Lilakoi Moon when Zoë was 5 years old and enrolling her daughter in school as Zoë Moon, a decision the latter toldEsquirewas “very sweet.“While she was living with Bonet, she saw Lenny a few times a year, according to the magazine — and seeing him “was this whirlwind of a completely different universe,” Zoë said, referring to the time when his career was at aparticularly high point.“Then I would go home to this really quiet, really simple life,” she said of the time before she relocated with Lenny to Miami when she was 11 and then, eventually, to New York City.Of the different lifestyle she adopted once she moved to Florida, Zoë toldEsquire, “It wasn’t that my dad didn’t care. He just cared about different things.”The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!Zoë Kravitz covers the September 2024 issue ofEsquire.Zoey Grossman/EsquireLenny and actress Bonet met backstage at aNew Editionconcert in Los Angeles in 1985. They eloped in Las Vegas on Nov. 16, 1987 — Bonet’s 20th birthday — and welcomed their only child, daughter Zoë, on Dec. 1, 1988.Zoë was only 2 when her parents split in 1991, divorcing in 1993. But the former couple have remained close in the years since, with Lenny eventelling PEOPLE in 2020that their bond is “essential” and they “love each other just as much as before — it’s just a different situation.“In her interview withEsquire, Zoë recalled feeling like her dad was getting taken advantage of at times when she was younger due to his friendly, accepting personality. She said, “I can smell it out pretty quickly."“I had to when I was a kid because he didn’t,” she explained of her own tendency to pick up on suspicious motives. “He’s really trusting, and it’s sweet, but I can tell exactly what someone wants.”Blink Twiceis in theaters Aug. 23.

Zoë Kravitz for the September 2024 issue ofEsquire.Photo:Zoey Grossman/Esquire

Zoey Grossman/Esquire

Zoë Kravitzis looking back on her decision to live with dadLenny Kravitzafter his breakup with her motherLisa Bonet.TheBlink Twicedirector and co-writer, 35, opened up about that period in her life in a wide-ranging interview forEsquire, alongside a photoshoot for the magazine’s September 2024 issue.“I think it was very hurtful that I moved away from her to be with my dad and my dad wasn’t even there,” Zoë said of Bonet, recalling the time she relocated to New York City from Miami and musician Lenny, now 60, left soon after to tour.Zoë added of Bonet, now 56, “I just wish I had been able to appreciate what she was doing for me.““She was so focused on preserving my innocence. My creativity. Because she knew what the world is — that you don’t get that back,” theBatmanactress added.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.From L: Zoë Kravitz, Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz in Los Angeles on Feb. 10, 2016.Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagicOne example? Bonet changing her own name to Lilakoi Moon when Zoë was 5 years old and enrolling her daughter in school as Zoë Moon, a decision the latter toldEsquirewas “very sweet.“While she was living with Bonet, she saw Lenny a few times a year, according to the magazine — and seeing him “was this whirlwind of a completely different universe,” Zoë said, referring to the time when his career was at aparticularly high point.“Then I would go home to this really quiet, really simple life,” she said of the time before she relocated with Lenny to Miami when she was 11 and then, eventually, to New York City.Of the different lifestyle she adopted once she moved to Florida, Zoë toldEsquire, “It wasn’t that my dad didn’t care. He just cared about different things.”The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!Zoë Kravitz covers the September 2024 issue ofEsquire.Zoey Grossman/EsquireLenny and actress Bonet met backstage at aNew Editionconcert in Los Angeles in 1985. They eloped in Las Vegas on Nov. 16, 1987 — Bonet’s 20th birthday — and welcomed their only child, daughter Zoë, on Dec. 1, 1988.Zoë was only 2 when her parents split in 1991, divorcing in 1993. But the former couple have remained close in the years since, with Lenny eventelling PEOPLE in 2020that their bond is “essential” and they “love each other just as much as before — it’s just a different situation.“In her interview withEsquire, Zoë recalled feeling like her dad was getting taken advantage of at times when she was younger due to his friendly, accepting personality. She said, “I can smell it out pretty quickly."“I had to when I was a kid because he didn’t,” she explained of her own tendency to pick up on suspicious motives. “He’s really trusting, and it’s sweet, but I can tell exactly what someone wants.”Blink Twiceis in theaters Aug. 23.

Zoë Kravitzis looking back on her decision to live with dadLenny Kravitzafter his breakup with her motherLisa Bonet.

TheBlink Twicedirector and co-writer, 35, opened up about that period in her life in a wide-ranging interview forEsquire, alongside a photoshoot for the magazine’s September 2024 issue.

“I think it was very hurtful that I moved away from her to be with my dad and my dad wasn’t even there,” Zoë said of Bonet, recalling the time she relocated to New York City from Miami and musician Lenny, now 60, left soon after to tour.

Zoë added of Bonet, now 56, “I just wish I had been able to appreciate what she was doing for me.”

“She was so focused on preserving my innocence. My creativity. Because she knew what the world is — that you don’t get that back,” theBatmanactress added.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

From L: Zoë Kravitz, Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz in Los Angeles on Feb. 10, 2016.Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

One example? Bonet changing her own name to Lilakoi Moon when Zoë was 5 years old and enrolling her daughter in school as Zoë Moon, a decision the latter toldEsquirewas “very sweet.”

While she was living with Bonet, she saw Lenny a few times a year, according to the magazine — and seeing him “was this whirlwind of a completely different universe,” Zoë said, referring to the time when his career was at aparticularly high point.

“Then I would go home to this really quiet, really simple life,” she said of the time before she relocated with Lenny to Miami when she was 11 and then, eventually, to New York City.

Of the different lifestyle she adopted once she moved to Florida, Zoë toldEsquire, “It wasn’t that my dad didn’t care. He just cared about different things.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

Zoë Kravitz covers the September 2024 issue ofEsquire.Zoey Grossman/Esquire

Lenny and actress Bonet met backstage at aNew Editionconcert in Los Angeles in 1985. They eloped in Las Vegas on Nov. 16, 1987 — Bonet’s 20th birthday — and welcomed their only child, daughter Zoë, on Dec. 1, 1988.

Zoë was only 2 when her parents split in 1991, divorcing in 1993. But the former couple have remained close in the years since, with Lenny eventelling PEOPLE in 2020that their bond is “essential” and they “love each other just as much as before — it’s just a different situation.”

In her interview withEsquire, Zoë recalled feeling like her dad was getting taken advantage of at times when she was younger due to his friendly, accepting personality. She said, “I can smell it out pretty quickly.”

“I had to when I was a kid because he didn’t,” she explained of her own tendency to pick up on suspicious motives. “He’s really trusting, and it’s sweet, but I can tell exactly what someone wants.”

Blink Twiceis in theaters Aug. 23.

source: people.com