The Tragic Details About Lisa Bonet Will Break Your Heart

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Lisa Bonet rose to fame in the '80s starring as Denise Huxtable on the wildly popular sitcom "The Cosby Show." The show featured an upper middle class Black family with five children, a mom who was a lawyer, and a dad who was a doctor. It was inspirational for many viewers, but it was a far cry from Lisa Bonet's real-life upbringing. Bonet struggled to fit in as a mixed-race only child, and her father left her and her mother when she was just a toddler.

Bonet was talented enough to land the role that made her famous when she was only 16 years old, but she soon found that fame was not all it was cracked up to be. There was tension between the actor and her TV father, Bill Cosby, as well as other professional disappointments. Bonet's personal life was another source of pain, as her high-profile romances couldn't stand the test of time. Through it all, Bonet maintained a strong sense of self and was determined to be the ideal mother, but it came at a cost. Read on to learn more about the tragic details of Lisa Bonet's life.

Lisa Bonet was born on November 16, 1967 in San Francisco, California. Her mother, Arlene Joyce Litman, was a white schoolteacher of Jewish descent and her father, Allen Bonet, was a Black opera singer. Bonet's parents divorced in 1969, just two years after she was born, and Bonet was raised by her single mother. Bonet's father, who went on to remarry and have seven more children, essentially disappeared from the actor's life and the two never reconnected.

Bonet was close with her mom, and was able to turn to her for help when times were tough, even into adulthood. "She was a good woman," Bonet told Net-A-Porter. "She loved me." But even with her mother's support, there seemed to be something missing in the actor's life, and she turned to her romantic relationships in order to feel whole. According to Bonet, her sometimes-messy love life was the result of her father having been absent throughout her formative years. "When your primary male figure couldn't care less to show up, that can become a theme in your life where you're trying to fill this gap with these different men," Bonet revealed.

Growing up outside of Los Angeles in San Fernando Valley was not an easy time for Lisa Bonet. She and her mom lived in what Bonet called "a little white neighborhood on the wrong side of the tracks," in an interview with the Washington Post, and she attended a public school where she was in a program for gifted students. Bonet's character Denise Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" was the epitome of cool with her laid-back vibe and her killer sense of style, but in real life Bonet had a hard time fitting in and was not popular with her classmates. "I didn't have a date in high school. No one asked me to the prom...," the actor revealed.

Part of the issue was that Bonet was mixed-race and she didn't feel as though she fit in anywhere. She felt that all eyes were on her when she attended temple, so she stopped going. School was even more difficult as Bonet's ethnicity seemed to separate her from her peers. "...the Black kids would call me 'Oreo,' and I just didn't feel totally at home and accepted with all these ... white rich people," she shared. Bonet felt so alone that she pleaded with her mother to have another child, but since her parents were divorced it just wasn't going to happen.

Bonet experienced something of an identity crisis and reacted by withdrawing further into herself as a means of self-preservation. "The world wasn't ready for what I represented, the merging of these two races," she told Net-A-Porter. "So, I sheltered myself by always withholding a bit, because I didn't always feel safe."

At the age of 16, Lisa Bonet got her big break when she landed the role of Denise Huxtable on the hit NBC sitcom "The Cosby Show." The star of the show was the patriarch of the family, Cliff Huxtable, played by Bill Cosby, who was a revered and beloved comedian and actor at the time. Many years later, over sixty women came forward and accused Cosby of sexual assault and sexual harassment, which shocked his fans and resulted in criminal charges.

Cosby was the one to cast Bonet in "The Cosby Show," complimenting her on her braces, despite Bonet's fear that her braces would take her out of the running for the role of Denise. Throughout her time working on "The Cosby Show" and its spinoff series "A Different World," Bonet and Cosby often had their differences, but the root of their disagreements always seemed to be work-related.

But in 2018, Bonet broke her silence regarding Cosby and his crimes, admitting that she'd always had a bad feeling about him deep down. "There was no knowledge on my part about his specific actions, but... There was just energy. And that type of sinister, shadow energy cannot be concealed," the actor told Net-A- Porter. She went on to say that if she'd "always" felt a darkness within Cosby, but if she'd known about what had been happening, she surely would have spoken out. "... if I had anything more to reveal then it would have happened a long time ago. That's my nature. The truth will set you free."

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

When Lisa Bonet landed the role of Denise Huxtable on "The Cosby Show" it was more than just a professional accomplishment, it was a necessity. "All my friends were very rich and could screw around as much as they wanted—they knew they had a place in daddy's business," Bonet told Interview in 1987. "But I really had to work." Luckily, the show was a huge hit, running for eight seasons from 1984 until 1992 and spawning a spin-off in 1987 called "A Different World." The spin-off took place at the fictional Hillman College and followed Denise as she navigated life as a coed.

Although Bonet was the star of "A Different World," her status did not ensure job security. In November 1987, Bonet married musician Lenny Kravitz and soon became pregnant with his child. Bonet's pregnancy was a huge point of contention with the show's creator, Bill Cosby, who was adamant that Denise should not be pregnant while attending college. Producer and director Debbie Allen went to bat for Bonet, accompanying her when she broke the news of her pregnancy to Cosby, in the hopes that it could be incorporated into the show. "...that would be a great thing to see a girl who's an upper-class kid, not married because she didn't want to be married, and the girls could root for her...," Allen told The Television Academy Foundation. Cosby shot down the idea, telling Allen, "Denise Huxtable is not pregnant, Lisa Bonet is pregnant." Bonet was brought back onto "The Cosby Show," but the move caused even more tension between Cosby and her.

Lisa Bonet met Lenny Kravitz backstage at a New Edition concert in 1985, back when Kravitz was performing under the stage name Romeo Blue. He was not yet the rock icon he would later become, but Bonet was a bona fide star at the time thanks to her role on "The Cosby Show." The two hit it off right away according to Kravitz, who wrote in his memoir "Let Love Rule," "We vibed immediately. Time stood still. Without a lot being said, there was magnetism" (via People).

Bonet and Kravitz tied the knot on Bonet's 20^th birthday in 1987 and welcomed their daughter, Zoë Kravitz, in December of 1988. Despite their loving family, as well as Bonet and Kravitz's creative collaborations, the marriage wasn't built to last and the pair split in 1991. The divorce, which was finalized in 1993, took a toll on Bonet, causing her to make some serious changes within herself. She told Net-A-Porter that the period following she and Kravitz's split was "a very accelerated time, spiritually and intellectually." She also became very aware of the effect the divorce could have on Zoë, wanting to protect her from the pain she was experiencing herself. "I didn't want to pass on those heirlooms, and this fresh wound of a divorce," Bonet explained.

Ultimately, though difficult, the divorce was something that forced Bonet into a deeper level of maturity, causing her to look within to find the strength to move on and successfully parent her child. "... these thresholds can either sink you or you can see who you are and rise and dust yourself off," the actor shared.

While Lisa Bonet enjoyed a lot of success as she transitioned into adulthood during the '80s, she was unprepared for the invasion of privacy that came along with the trappings of fame. As the star of two popular sitcoms, she naturally got a lot of media attention, but there were times when it went too far. For example, while pregnant with her daughter Zoë, the paparazzi were relentless trying to snap photos of her and her then-husband Lenny Kravitz. "People were falling off roofs trying to get pictures," she told Net-A-Porter.

After her stint on "The Cosby Show" came to an end and Bonet found herself divorced and parenting a young child, she relocated to the mountain region of Topanga Canyon in California. She referred to her new surroundings as "a retreat from a world that I was probably unprepared for, at the age I was out there playing in it," in an interview (via the New York Times). But a change of scenery wasn't the only adjustment the actor made during that time. Lisa Bonet legally changed her name Lilakoi Moon, a choice made to further safeguard her privacy.

Lisa Bonet took motherhood very seriously, nurturing her daughter Zoë's creativity by maintaining a strict household. There was no internet access, and the TV remained unplugged save for the weekends when Bonet allowed Zoë to rent movies. Bonet also kept herself and her daughter on a vegan diet and made sure to always have music playing in the house. "Once she was born she really became my art project," the actor shared with Esquire. But while Bonet's home was idyllic, Zoë eventually decided to live with her father, Lenny Kravitz, instead.

Zoë was 11 years old at the time and Kravitz had reached rock star levels of fame by then. She moved into his Miami home, where she was newly allowed to eat junk food, watch TV, and go shopping all she wanted. Zoë and her dad eventually relocated to New York City and, while Kravitz was away on tour, she partied.

It was fun, but she suspected that her choice was painful for Bonet. "I think it was very hurtful that I moved away from her to be with my dad and my dad wasn't even there," she explained to Esquire. She had been unable to appreciate the life Bonet had created for her at the time, and came to understand that her mother had always had her best interests in mind. "She was so focused on preserving my innocence. My creativity. Because she knew what the world is — that you don't get that back," Zoë shared.

After such a strong start in her acting career, Lisa Bonet seemed to have disappeared from Hollywood after her sitcom success. She appeared in several films in the early '90s, but none of them performed particularly well at the box office. Bonet appeared to be making a comeback with 1998's "Enemy of the State" starring Will Smith, and again in 2000's "High Fidelity" in which she made a memorable appearance as one of John Cusack's love interests. Bonet even sang in the film, but it wasn't enough to rocket her back to her former star status.

Part of the issue was that Bonet wasn't fully committed to the entertainment industry, telling Net-A-Porter, "I always had one foot in and one foot out of the business, so that's part of it." The other part, according to Bonet, was simply a lack of decent roles. "There aren't endless opportunities for women of color, you've probably noticed," she mused, adding, "... it's slim pickings out there!"

Lisa Bonet's high-profile relationship with Lenny Kravitz came to an end when their divorce was finalized in 1993, but that didn't keep the actor from seeking love again. In 2005, Bonet met "Aquaman" star Jason Momoa at a jazz club and the two began a long-lasting romance. For Momoa, it was a dream come true, as Bonet had caught his eye way back when he was a kid watching "The Cosby Show." He referred to her as "literally my childhood crush," during an interview with Esquire.

The couple welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Lola Iolani Momoa, in 2007, and in 2008 their son, Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa, was born. Bonet and Jason had long been referring to each other as husband and wife, but the couple made it official in 2017, tying the knot in a private ceremony in Topanga Canyon. While they seemed like a perfect pair with a happy, blended family (Momoa and Kravitz became close friends as well), sadly the relationship eventually came to an end.

Bonet and Jason split after 16 years together, apparently due to different priorities surrounding work. A source shared with E! News, "Jason is very focused on his career and wants to work ... Lisa wants to be in LA and is not interested in going on location for long periods of time with him." The pair parted ways in 2020, although they didn't announce it until 2022. Their divorce was finalized in January 2024 after Bonet filed citing "irreconcilable differences."