Title: "90s Star Kavana Reveals Paid Drug-Fuelled Sex Amid Addiction, Cites Exhausting Battle to Hide Sexuality and Alcoholism"

This version condenses the key elements—Kavana’s revelation, the context of addiction, and the driving factors (hidden sexuality and alcoholism)—while maintaining clarity and conciseness.

90s Pop Star Kavana Reveals Battle with Addiction and Sexuality in New Memoir

[Image: Kavana in the 1990s, performing on stage.]

Former 90s heartthrob Kavana (real name Anthony Kavanagh) has opened up about his turbulent pop career, struggles with addiction, and the “exhausting” effort to hide his sexuality in his explosive memoir, Pop Scars, releasing July 17. The Manchester-born singer, who rose to fame at 16 with hits like I Can Make You Feel Good and Special Kind of Something, details how the pressures of fame led him into a spiral of substance abuse, homelessness, and paid drug-fueled encounters.

The Price of Fame
Signed as a teen, Kavana toured with Boyzone and partied with pop elites, but his heartthrob image relied on maintaining a “straight” persona for his young female fanbase. He secretly dated Boyzone’s Stephen Gately (who died in 2009) and turned to alcohol to cope with the stress of hiding his sexuality. “It was a constant act, and it was exhausting,” he told The Guardian. “Alcohol became a comfort.”

[Image: Kavana and Stephen Gately backstage during a 90s tour.]

Downward Spiral
After losing his record deal, Kavana’s life unraveled. A failed attempt to reboot his career in the U.S. left him isolated and addicted to crystal meth. He recalls waking up in strangers’ homes, realizing he’d traded sex for drugs, and smoking crack in a Hackney skip with a homeless woman—even handing her his bank card. “You should never give a stranger your PIN while high,” he admits.

Returning to the UK penniless, he faced homelessness and moved into sheltered housing with his mother. Watching peers like Ant and Dec thrive deepened his shame, leading to relapses. He briefly befriended Amy Winehouse, whose own struggles mirrored his, before her death in 2011.

[Image: Kavana in recent years, reflecting on his past struggles.]

Road to Recovery
After a tabloid settlement funded private rehab, Kavana finally sought help in 2022, tweeting, “Alcoholism has got its grip… I’m going to get the help I need.” Now 3.5 years sober, he wrote Pop Scars as a stark reminder of his darkest days. “I needed to be locked up,” he says. “Alcohol was going to kill me.”

A New Chapter
Kavana acknowledges the cultural shift allowing him to speak openly today: “We didn’t talk about sexuality or mental health back then.” His memoir aims to shed light on the dark side of fame while celebrating his hard-won sobriety.

[Image: Cover of Pop Scars memoir, released July 17.]

Pop Scars releases July 17, offering a raw glimpse into the cost of stardom and the power of redemption.

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