What was the Milli Vanilli lip-syncing scandal?

Milli Vanilli's producers revealed that Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus did not sing on their hit album, leading to their downfall.

What happened after Milli Vanilli's lip-syncing was exposed?

They were forced to return their Best New Artist Grammy Award and faced lawsuits from millions of fans.

What is Fabrice Morvan doing now?

Fabrice Morvan is pursuing a solo career and shared his story in a memoir and documentary, even receiving a Grammy nomination in November 2025.

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

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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.

From Stardom to Scorn: Milli Vanilli's Lip-Sync Scandal

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.