Home / Arts and Entertainment / From Stardom to Scorn: Milli Vanilli's Lip-Sync Scandal
From Stardom to Scorn: Milli Vanilli's Lip-Sync Scandal
31 Jan
Summary
- Milli Vanilli duo admitted to lip-syncing their hit songs.
- They were forced to return their Best New Artist Grammy Award.
- Producer Frank Farian revealed the singers were not on the album.
Milli Vanilli, the R&B duo of Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus, achieved immense fame with their 1989 debut, 'Girl You Know It's True.' However, their success was built on a lie. In July 1989, during a concert broadcast live on MTV, their lip-syncing was exposed when the track jammed. The scandal escalated in November 1990 when producer Frank Farian revealed Morvan and Pilatus were not the actual singers on the album.
This revelation led to significant consequences. The duo was stripped of their 1990 Best New Artist Grammy Award, marking the first time this had happened. They also faced class-action lawsuits from millions of disappointed fans, ultimately leading to a settlement. Rob Pilatus struggled with addiction following the scandal and died in April 1998 from a suspected overdose at 32.
Fabrice Morvan has since pursued a solo career, releasing music and advocating for his side of the story, notably through his memoir and a 2023 documentary. In November 2025, Morvan received a Grammy nomination for his audiobook reading, exactly 35 years after his initial award was revoked.
