Jewel strongly believes that she doesn't need a man to define her.
The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, 49, spoke to People magazine ahead of the opening of an immersive art exhibit about his romantic life over the decades as a musician and his experiences with “people in positions of power.” He talked about his experiences with men. Portal: An Art Experience with Jewels” (Arkansas).
Reflecting on her relationship with Sean Penn in the mid-'90s, the songstress revealed that after the release of her debut album, Piece of You, she refrained from using their romance to promote her music at the time. He revealed.
“Even early on when I was dating Sean, no one knew I was dating him. I had no intention of doing any red carpets with him. I was just so proud. was high,” she told People. “I wasn't famous, and the album was a big flop. It was a big flop. I remember going to the Venice Film Festival with him, and we were on the red carpet, and we got a lot of media attention. It could have gotten some attention.”
She continued, “People will say, 'Who is this girl?'” And while I could finish my own album, I'd rather remain anonymous for the rest of my life than let it bring me the fame I need. I needed to be a songwriter to be happy.
Jewell recalled the difficult times she went through in her 20s, including being fired for refusing her boss' sexual advances and becoming homeless after her car was stolen. She has previously spoken openly about the abuse she suffered from her father during her childhood and the harassment she suffered as a young performer.
“It was a time of violence, and the Hells Angels were actually very protective of me. But the violence is still there,” she recalled. “From television networks to record companies, men were in positions of power, and women faced that every day.”
Jewel reveals 'divorce wasn't easy' and responds to Kevin Costner romance speculation
In 2008, Julie married rodeo star Ty Murray and the couple had a son, Kase. The couple divorced in 2014, and the Alaskan singer began prioritizing raising her children over her career.
“The divorce wasn't easy. The choice to not work for seven years wasn't easy. The choice to build something other than music wasn't easy,” she told People. “Divorce…it's very heartbreaking and difficult. I stayed married much longer than I probably should have because I didn't want to let go of that dream.”
In 2022, she released her first new album in seven years, “Freewheelin' Woman.''
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“It's hard to write pop songs that aren't romantic,” Jewell told USA TODAY that year. “I was proud of 'Intuition' in that respect; it delivered a deeper concept wrapped in a pop song. Dancing and singing are key to my life.”
Fast forward to 2024, and some media outlets are reporting that a romance may be brewing between Jewell and Kevin Costner, the “Yellowstone” actor whose divorce from his wife of almost 20 years, Christine Baumgartner, was recently finalized. I'm guessing that there isn't.
But that's not what the singer wants to discuss.
“I found love, and I'm not talking about Kevin. I'm very happy, it has nothing to do with men. It has nothing to do with being in a relationship or not.” she told People. “I'm the most inspired I've ever been in my life right now, since I was 19 or 20.
“I’m just happy.”
