Thirty-six years ago, Fabrice Morvan was getting ready for his first Grammy Awards. It had been an incredible few years for him and his friend Robert Pilatus. The two, known as Milli Vanilli, had quickly become famous, going from unknown dancers in Munich to pop stars. They were nominated for best new artist and were scheduled to perform, but behind the excitement, they were starting to feel overwhelmed and stressed.
As a music lover, I remember the 1990 Grammys so vividly. Don Henley’s “The End of the Innocence” was a huge contender, but the night really became famous for Milli Vanilli. For millions of fans who’d bought their albums, the revelation that they didn’t actually sing on the records felt like a real loss of innocence. And it’s a bit of Grammy history – they’re still the only act to ever have an award taken back.
Rob and Fab, the duo famous for the hit song “Girl You Know It’s True,” didn’t actually sing on any of their popular tracks, including their incredibly successful debut album. They even pretended to sing during their Grammy performance, using a pre-recorded track instead.
While Rob and Fab were the public face of Milli Vanilli, known for their energy, dancing, and fashion, the actual singing was done by other vocalists: John Davis, Brad Howell, and Charles Shaw. After the truth came out, Rob and Fab admitted their actions were wrong, though many people felt responsibility was shared, even if they received the most criticism.
I was talking to Morvan, who’s 59 now, and he told me they actually took down the platinum records at Arista. We were chatting at this cool boutique hotel in Hollywood, right by the pool. It was a beautiful December day, but he was all in black – even his sunglasses! He’s got this amazing silver skull ring he wears, and even though he looks decades younger, he was incredibly considerate and offered to move into the shade for me. It’s clear he’s found peace and is enjoying life after everything that happened.
Morvan is making an incredible comeback, and is now a contender for the 2026 Grammys. Remarkably, he’s the first artist ever nominated for a Grammy after having a previous nomination taken away.
This time, it’s definitely his voice. Fab Morvan is nominated for an award in the audiobook, narration, and storytelling category for his memoir, “You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli.” His gentle French accent and soothing tone are captivating, and he’s a gifted storyteller. He recorded the audiobook himself, in his home studio.
He believes that honesty ultimately prevails, explaining that while truth may take effort, lies offer only a quick, superficial rise. After 35 years, he feels his own truth is finally being revealed, and people are beginning to understand it.
It’s heartbreaking that Rob Pilatus never got to see how people now view Milli Vanilli. He really struggled after everything came out, battling addiction, and sadly passed away in 1998. Reading Fab Morvan’s memoir was incredibly moving, especially when he spoke directly to Rob, even though Rob wasn’t there. He finally opened up about the difficult parts of their relationship, but you could really feel how much he still cared for and loved Rob. It was a really poignant moment.
× Following Pilatus’ passing, Morvan focused on rebuilding his life. He supplemented his income by teaching French at Berlitz while continuing to perform at smaller clubs. In a 1997 interview with the Times, he explained, “I’m not aiming for stardom.” He briefly hosted a radio show called “Fabrice’s Fabulous Flashbacks” on KIIS-FM, but he consistently returned to his passion for creating music.
He explains that music has always been a constant in his life. When he needed to figure out his next step, he felt drawn to it, as if music challenged him to fully commit. He then dedicated himself to learning guitar, music production, and songwriting. This creative process, he says, helped him cope with and overcome difficult emotions.
After two decades living in Los Angeles, Morvan decided it was time to pursue opportunities in Europe, jokingly referring to the city as “Hotel California.” During a video call from his new home in Amsterdam, he admitted he’d almost quit, but hoped a fresh environment would help.
I felt really let down when a potential collaboration with a producer fell through. Then, I connected with some people from the Netherlands who were starting a fashion brand. I’d also heard that the dance music scene in Holland was really innovative and growing, which was exciting.
He became a DJ and continued the musical spirit of Milli Vanilli by performing their songs at festivals with a live band.
About fifteen years ago, Morvan met his partner, Tessa van der Steen, while working on a project. Tessa, who is from the Netherlands, is a health and fitness coach and practices alternative medicine. They have four children together: a 12-year-old son, a 9-year-old daughter, and 4-year-old twin boys.
Looking back at the Milli Vanilli story, it’s crazy how much power the record label execs – mostly white guys – had back then. But it’s totally different now for Rob Pilatus. These days, the important people in his life are women. His autobiography leaves out a big piece of the puzzle, though: Kim Marlowe. According to a 1997 article, she was his manager and his closest friend. They even got married at one point, but she filed for divorce quietly in L.A. just recently, in 2024.
Despite everything, Van der Steen is the great love of his life. He first met her when she only knew him as “Fabrice,” and according to his friend Morvan, she’s incredibly supportive. Van der Steen describes him as a wonderful partner and father, saying they’ve been soulmates for over 15 years, often finishing each other’s thoughts. She’s also his biggest fan, encouraging his music and performances.
Recently, shifts in culture, technology, and the music business have led to a more understanding view of Rob and Fab. Rob Morvan participated in the popular 2023 Paramount+ documentary about their story, “Milli Vanilli.” Also in 2023, a critically acclaimed biopic, “Girl You Know It’s True,” directed by Simon Verhoeven, was released.
Morvan was surprised when Ryan Murphy used Milli Vanilli in his 2024 series about the Menendez brothers, which brought the group to the attention of a younger audience. This sparked him to record a simple, acoustic version of their hit song, “Blame It on the Rain,” written by Diane Warren.
Just last November, the story of Milli Vanilli resurfaced online. It started when music producer Jermaine Dupri mentioned the group on X (formerly Twitter) while discussing artists created using artificial intelligence and their success on the Billboard charts.
While some people still criticize them, Milli Vanilli’s past mistakes now seem almost harmless compared to today’s standards, where public figures are quickly ‘canceled’ and every apology is carefully examined for sincerity.
Benjamin Matheson, a professor at the University of Bern, researches how groups experience shame and writes about public apologies. He suggests a surprising idea: some fans might actually be quicker to forgive serious moral failings, like the crimes committed by Roman Polanski, than they are to forgive artistic dishonesty. This is because they may view the moral failing as a more genuine expression of the person’s true self.
According to Matheson, Milli Vanilli’s downfall might have been due to being one of the first pop groups that felt manufactured, as audiences weren’t used to that kind of thing at the time. Now, he believes people are much more accepting of things like autotune and music created with AI, although he wishes there was more resistance to these technologies.
Morvan has a lot of insights about how the music industry has changed over time. He’s happy with the new direction things are going, and although he doesn’t dwell on the past, he does wish he could share some wisdom with his younger self.
You know, looking back, I really wish I’d focused more on improving my skills and just kept at it, no matter what life threw at me. And honestly, I wish I’d never touched drugs, and even more, I wish I could have helped my friend Rob stay away from them too. Things could have turned out so differently for both of us if we’d made better choices.
As a critic, I remember when the Los Angeles Tribune declared “Girl You Know It’s True” their best film of the year – that’s actually how its writer, Morvan, connected with Parisa Rose. She was interviewing him for the paper, a delightfully odd publication that’s somehow managed to bounce back from the brink not once, but four times! Parisa, a brand new author and mom of two, ended up becoming Morvan’s co-writer and executive producer for his memoir. Now, she’s running the show as chief operating officer of the Tribune, which has cleverly expanded to include a book publishing arm. It’s a fantastic success story all around.
As a critic, I was particularly moved by the way Alain Morvan’s memoir unfolded. Growing up in Pasadena, Rose really pushed Morvan to confront aspects of his history he’d clearly tried to leave behind. But the truly brilliant part? When Morvan directly addresses people from his past through the letters he includes – it’s a bold move that shatters the typical memoir format and feels incredibly intimate and raw. It’s a technique that really stuck with me.
The exercise involved each person sharing everything they’d always wanted to tell the other, as if it were the last conversation they’d ever have. They were asked to really picture the person sitting right in front of them. Rose, speaking by phone, also mentioned she contributed to the project by researching the French seaside sanatorium where Morvan spent his childhood.
Morvan wrote this memoir largely to leave something behind for his children. His oldest son, who’s starting to explore music, recently discovered a vintage Milli Vanilli record and enjoys listening to it alongside artists like Daft Punk and Michael Jackson. Morvan himself is taking a relaxed approach to success, focusing on enjoying the present. He still has big ambitions, though – he’s planning a tour in the next year, including performances in America, and dreams of one day playing at Coachella.
He’s especially excited about his outfit for the Grammys, which was created in collaboration with Spanish designer Helen López – they’ve worked together before on a collection inspired by Milli Vanilli. With a playful grin, he hints that the outfit will be a statement. He adds that it’s important to live in the moment and enjoy it, regardless of the outcome, because everything happens for a reason and he’s approaching the event without any specific expectations.
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2026-01-31 00:32