Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus of Milli Vanilli in 1988.Photo:Ingrid Segeith/Paramount+
Ingrid Segeith/Paramount+
Milli Vanilli’s rise and fall was swift.
But then it was revealed the two stars were not the vocalists on any of Milli Vanilli’s songs. The Recording Academy revoked their best new artist Grammy Award — the only instance in the organization’s history — and the pair were effectively canceled.
More than three decades later, Morvan, 57, is sharing the truth about the lip-syncing scandal inParamount+’s documentaryMilli Vanilli, released Tuesday. “People always thought they knew the story,” Morvan tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue, “butmystory has never been told.”
Fabrice Morvan.Luke Korem/Paramount+
Luke Korem/Paramount+
The film features interviews with Morvan as well as several music industry figures, both involved with and adjacent to the machine behind Milli Vanilli. Director Luke Korem was inspired to make the documentary after learning there were cracks in the version of the story he previously knew.
“I watched a YouTube video of Fabrice telling his story at The Moth in New York City, and at the end he sang,” says Korem. “He had this beautiful voice, and I thought, ‘Wait a minute. I thought the story was that these two guys were talentless frauds. I didn’t know he could sing.’”
Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus.Michel Linssen/Redferns/Getty
Michel Linssen/Redferns/Getty
Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus of Milli Vanilli in Los Angeles in February 1990.CBS via Getty
CBS via Getty
“Every time we came to the studio we tried to look for people. There was nobody there,” says Morvan. “They made sure that we never came in contact.”
The secret was overwhelming for the rising stars, who feared they’d be exposed because their accents didn’t match the real singers’ voices. “It was always just like this weight,” adds Morvan. “That was nerve-wracking.”
Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus of Milli Vanilli.Bill Nation/Sygma via Getty
Bill Nation/Sygma via Getty
“I was kept out of the loop during that,” says Morvan of any alleged deals behind their Grammy performance, which he only learned about through Korem’s documentary.
Morvan and Pilatus wanted to sing on their second album, but Farian apparently refused, prompting the duo to threaten to expose the secret themselves. Farian (who did not participate in the documentary and has not commented on Morvan’s claims) beat them to the punch, revealing the ruse in November 1990. “I knew it would change everything,” says Morvan.
Fans quickly turned on them, with many destroying their albums. “We went from being these loved characters to being laughed at and ridiculed,” Morvan recalls. “We were the butt of all the jokes and easy targets.” They also faced racism. “It was ugly,” he adds. “Rob took it really personally.”
They attempted to revive their career as a singing duo, but audiences weren’t interested — and Pilatus turned to drugs and alcohol. “He’d gone way too deep with addiction to get out of the hole,” says Morvan. In 1998, Pilatus died of a suspected overdose. “When Rob died, I was like, ‘Wow, no one will ever know what it was like.’”
Fabrice Morvan, Tessa van der Steen and children Solange, Sacha, Vince and Paris.courtesy Fabrice Morvan
courtesy Fabrice Morvan
Today, Morvan lives in Amsterdam with his partner Tessa van der Steen and their four children: Sacha, 10, Solange, 7, and twins Paris and Vince, 2. Fatherhood has brought light into his life. “It healed me, because suddenly they became the focal point,” he says.
He remains committed to music — writing, singing and playing instruments himself this time around. “I said to myself, ‘Hey, let’s go for it. You’ve got nothing to lose,’” he says. “I saw the light at the end of the tunnel.”
The performer has also found peace with Milli Vanilli’s complicated legacy: “Without this music and this journey, I wouldn’t be who I am today.”
source: people.com
