“It’s truly fascinating to witness the screening,” reflects Fabrice Morvan, the surviving member of Milli Vanilli. He ponders the generational divide, with those aged 35 and above fully aware of their story, while the younger crowd remains perplexed by the controversy. Morvan’s remarks center around Paramount+’s recently released cautionary-tale documentary, Milli Vanilli, which charts the duo’s rise to stardom and their subsequent devastating downfall. In 1990, Morvan and his bandmate, Rob Pilatus, lost everything: their fans, their record deal, their Best New Artist Grammy, their self-respect, and tragically, Pilatus lost his life. These losses occurred after it was discovered that they hadn’t sung on their multi-million-selling debut album, “Girl You Know It’s True.”
There’s a striking irony in the fact that modern pop stars often lip-sync or rely on studio effects like AutoTune, yet face minimal backlash these days. Morvan chuckles at the contrast, remarking how it has become the norm through TikTok lip-syncing challenges. However, for many years, Morvan couldn’t find solace in discussing his former band due to the relentless mocking Milli Vanilli endured. The jokes aimed at them were far from funny.
Morvan shares a shocking anecdote from an interview he conducted after the lip-syncing scandal. One DJ made a heartless comment implying that something had fallen out the window, insinuating it was Rob attempting suicide. This incident made Morvan realize that they were no longer seen as human beings—they were reduced to mere products. Their value as people had vanished, and they could be insulted, belittled, and bullied without consequence. Morvan was dumbfounded and disheartened by this dehumanization.
However, in his interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Morvan demonstrates a newfound optimism. He expresses his excitement that the story of Milli Vanilli is finally being told in the right way through the documentary. He acknowledges that people believe the headlines, but the film delves deeper into the involvement of a producer and record company. Morvan believes that younger viewers nowadays are more informed about the inner workings and marketing involved in the music industry. For 30 years, Morvan felt he was only scratching the surface, but in the end, he knew he was not the true villain.
Undoubtedly, the true “villain” of Milli Vanilli was Frank Farian, the veteran German record producer. Farian had previously employed a similar deception with Eurodisco group Boney M., where the lead vocalist, Bobby Farrell, didn’t sing on the records. Farian discovered Morvan and Pilatus, two idealistic young dancers who had been part of the short-lived ’80s pop band Empire Bizarre. According to Morvan, they were oblivious to what they were getting themselves into—a contract they believed would allow them to sing and release just one single.
However, when their single, “Girl You Know It’s True,” became a hit in Europe, Farian decided to proceed with a full album. Morvan claims they soon realized that they couldn’t escape their contract without repaying all the money invested in their promotion. Trapped in the fame vortex, they began to believe their own hype.
Pop stardom came swiftly for Milli Vanilli, especially with the release of their debut album, “All or Nothing,” in 1988, and its repackage as “Girl You Know It’s True” in 1989 for the U.S. market. Throughout the documentary, various executives from Arista Records, the duo’s American label, claim they were unaware that seasoned studio singers provided the vocals. The film humorously exposes the lie when it points out that Morvan and Pilatus were not credited on the international release of “All or Nothing,” leaving the label employees dumbfounded and exposed.
Morvan expresses his disappointment that the music executives involved refused to speak the truth. He questions why, after such a long time, they couldn’t back up the truth.
Speculation about Milli Vanilli’s vocal abilities began circulating even before the truth emerged. Disgruntled singer Charles Shaw went public with his revelation that he was one of the vocalists on the album. Rumors intensified as Morvan and Pilatus reluctantly made promotional appearances in the U.S., as their accents—Morvan is French and Pilatus is German—didn’t match the soulful voices heard on their number-one hits like “Girl I’m Gonna Miss You” and “Blame It On the Rain.” Despite enjoying the perks of global fame, the duo struggled under the pressure to maintain the facade.
Morvan reflects on the stressful time when he and Pilatus had to hide their foreign accents to avoid giving away the secret. People criticized them for being arrogant, but it was actually their defense mechanism to avoid conversations that could expose them. They didn’t want to speak, fearing that their true voices would undermine their act. Morvan admits to indulging in medicating and partying to cope with the mounting lie. The golden cage they found themselves in became increasingly suffocating with each record sold, leaving them trapped and unable to escape.
Public hatred for Milli Vanilli existed even before their unmasking, fueled in part by Farian’s retaliation when Morvan and Pilatus demanded to sing on their second album. The public’s scorn seemed deeply rooted in racism and xenophobia. Late-night hosts and comedy sketch shows maliciously mocked the duo’s appearance, foreign accents, and broken English. They became easy targets.
Morvan recalls the mean-spiritedness, admitting that such treatment wouldn’t be tolerated today. Those hosts and shows seized the opportunity, regardless of it being in poor taste. There was no protection for Rob and Fab. They were fair game for ridicule and mockery.
