Like her own daughter, Bonet was born into the world of entertainment. That’s because her father, Allen, was a successful opera singer. But she shares something else with her daughter’s childhood, and that’s that her parents divorced when she was young, as well.
After the split, Bonet mainly stayed with her mother, Arlene, in Los Angeles. Although she spent some time growing up in New York, too. But when Arlene passed away, in 1998, Lisa lived with her father full time.
Shaking Things Up
Even if you’ve got all of the money in the world and are accustomed to a certain type of lifestyle – life happens. Bonet and her daughter found themselves in crisis mode when, in 1994, an earthquake destroyed their home to a point it forced them out on the streets. Luckily, her mother was able to help them out, but it was still a turbulent time for them all.
Bonet later revealed that, “We were literally camping out!” Luckily, they were able to turn things around and get right back on their feet, with the help of friends and family.
Love and Let Go
Kravitz revealed in a 2013 Oprah Masterclass that he and Bonet were very “deeply in love,” and that their relationship was “magical.” But even so, it wasn’t enough to keep the two together through better or worse. They attribute a lot of personal growth to that relationship, however, and both agree that it was a very valuable time, both for them and because they brought Zoë into the world.
The couple officially got divorced in 1993, on mutually agreeable terms, so as not to hurt any of the parties involved.
Black and White
Bonet has openly spoken up about her experience growing up mixed in a different day and age. Even today, actors and actresses in Hollywood fight against typecasting and stereotypes, such as Zoë revealed in her quest to audition for 'The Dark Knight'.
Apparently, she wasn’t allowed to try out for the role because filmmakers didn’t want to go in an “urban” direction. And Bonet’s experience wasn’t much different, yet she also at points felt uneasy, even around her mother’s side of the family.
Different Times, Same Struggles
'The Cosby Show' actress revealed that she often shut down and “internalized” everything she was feeling about her mixed-race and landing roles. She said it best when she said that the world just “wasn’t ready.”
But even today, Zoë finds herself dealing with the same types of issues. The actress questioned why it seems as though “stories can only happen to white people and everyone else is a punchline.”