Anthony Gerard Kavanagh recently brought his struggles with alcoholism and the pressures of fame into the spotlight with the release of his memoir, Pop Scars.
The 47-year-old pop star, known as Kavana, offered a glimpse into his new book, which explores that challenges he faced after his rise to stardom.
In an exclusive conversation with Christine Lampard on ITV’s Lorraine, the 90s hitmaker said, “A memoir can be about anything, and although it does talk about fame, it’s a lot about what happens after fame to someone. It starts when I’m 18, and talks about my journey, my rollercoaster through 90s pop.”
The I Can Make You Feel Good singer also took a trip down memory lane and reflected on the ‘dark themes’ of his career.
Speaking to the outlet, he shared, “In those days, late 90s, there was no talk about mental health, we didn’t have a word for stuff like that, or bulimia, I’m not saying I struggled very much with that but I was very conscious with how I looked, and also I was in the closet and hiding my sexuality, I didn’t have any advice on what to say or what not to say. You become very self-conscious and you become this person that everybody else wants you to be.”
Later, the Funky Love hitmaker candidly confessed his addiction to alcohol, describing it as his “boyfriend”.
“For me, because I didn’t know it at the time but I am an alcoholic, I found alcohol which was medicine. It completely took away any fear, any anxiety, it became my boyfriend, it became my medicine, and it worked for a long, long time.”
Notably, Kavana encouraged others facing similar struggles not be ashamed and to speak to someone.
For the unversed, Pop Scars was released on Thursday, July 17.