Gavin Rossdale addresses Marilyn romance

In 1995, singer Boy George claimed Gavin and flamboyant singer Marilyn – real name Peter Robinson – had a romance when Gavin was young. Marilyn confirmed the reports last year, but Gavin has previously never spoken about them.

In a new interview with Details magazine the now 44-year-old confirms the rumours are true, but says it was just a phase he went through. “Yeah. That was it,” he said, when asked if it was just a one-time experimentation. “You have to know what you like, and I know what I like.”

Gavin also discussed his reasons for staying quiet on the topic for so long. He didn’t want to make a big deal of the romance, and says he has changed a lot since it happened.

“I think at the outset there was a sort of fear - that was right at the beginning of Bush, and I didn't want it to be part of it,” he said, when asked why he hasn’t spoken out about the claims before. “It felt like a cheap shot, so I was like, ‘I'm not getting involved.’ I've never wanted to appear closed about it. It's not something I've talked about really because it's always been in the glare of a tabloid world. It's just one of those things: Move on. When you're 17, Jesus Christ. I don't think there's anything strange about any form of - you're learning about life. It's a part of growing up. That's it. No more, no less.”

Gavin is now married to singer Gwen Stefani, and the couple have two sons - Kingston, four, and two-year-old Zuma. He also has daughter Daisy Lowe, 21, with Pearl Lowe, but did not discover he was her father until 2004. Gavin previously thought he was just Daisy’s godfather, and admits he has a totally different relationship with her than he does with his sons.

“With the boys it's traditional: I'm all they know, and I'm with them all the time. With Daisy, I don't know her in that context,” he explained. “The way I nurture those boys, I never got a chance with Daisy. I love my connection with her, but I don't have any say in who she is. With the boys it's my job to correct them and shape them. With Daisy, I just have to be respectful. I suppose it's more like a friendship.”