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Milli Vanilli's surviving member, Fab Morvan, said that he and partner, the late Rob Pilatus, were “seduced” by the promises of fame and fortune before they were brought down by the lip-synching scandal that made them infamous, Page Six reported.
Infamous enough that LaVar Ball once called Steve Kerr the Milli Vanilli of coaching to imply that he doesn't really coach the Warriors.
The duo's rise and fall is told in the upcoming Paramount+ documentary Milli Vanilli.
“We had youth on our side.”
Morvan told the entertainment site, “It was very premeditated.” He was referring to what German record producer, Frank Farian did. He had done the same lip-synching trick in 1975 with vocal group Boney M.
“We had the youth on our side and no experience,” Morvan said.
“They were able to lead us with a little carrot, you know. And of course, the gold records, you know, seduced by the fact that you’re going to live your dreams just to do that, sign that paper,” he added.
Milli Vanilli's side of the story, 30 years later
At 57, it has taken Morvan 30 years to tell his and Pilatus' side.
He said, “I’m sure Rob, too, is finally happy with the way the story’s been told because people have no idea. They think they thought they knew but they didn’t.” Pilatus died of alcohol and prescription drug overdose in 1998, at the age of 32.
The duo were treated like villains when it was found out that neither one of them sang in their songs. However, they were only “part of the small link in an engine” responsible for the lie.
“There were staff, there was a lot of people responsible. When you see interviews, the executives, just the lack of remorse to this day,” Morvan lamented.
Luke Korem, the documentary's director, said that he was shocked that people were still unwilling to sympathize with what Morvan and Pilatus endured.
“[Morvan and Pilatus] were not the ones that profited the most,” Korem insisted.
“They were exploited. And I think and this is something that goes on all the time, and especially today when we’re all about like calling people out in power,” he continued.
Milli Vanilli won the Grammy Best New Artist in 1990. When the truth was uncovered, the award was revoked.
The duo tried to make a comeback in 1998, but was canceled when Pilatus died the same year.
Morvan spoke about Pilatus' struggles. The German-born Pilatus grew up in an orphanage.
“You take those scars with you, there’s emotional scars. He was adopted, but there was a void that was there. And I felt that from the beginning. I knew he wasn’t right,” Morvan said about Pilatus.
“It's about reinventing yourself.”
The story does end on a more hopeful note. Today, Morvan lives in Amsterdam with his partner and four children.
“We’re able to show that the legacy of Milli Vanilli is not a tragedy,” Korem notes about the documentary.
“It’s not a con, it’s actually about reinventing yourself,” he concluded.
The documentary Milli Vanilli will be streamed on Paramount+ on Oct. 24.
