Fabrice Morvan Tells His Side of the Story in ‘Milli Vanilli’ Documentary Trailer: Watch

Milli Vanilli‘s music career was marred by a multitude of highs and lows. And now, one half of the duo, Fabrice Morvan, tells his and former bandmate Robert Pilatus’ side of the story in the new trailer for the group’s self-titled Paramount+ documentary.

In the trailer — which arrived Sept. 14 — Morvan sits down for an interview, expressing his and Pilatus’ thought process behind going through their deal with record producer Frank Farian, who infamously revealed that Milli Vanilli did not sing on any of its records in 1990. “We thought, ‘OK, just one song. We do this and you’re out,'” he tells the camera. “We won’t say no to this powerful producer.'”

In another interview, Morvan recalled his disbelief at Farian insisting the duo lip-synch despite their desire to provide their own vocals on their records. “They didn’t want us to sing … what?” he asks incredulously.

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Commentators throughout the trailer summed up Milli Vanilli’s rise on the charts, propelled by the duo’s first hit single, “Girl You Know It’s True” (No. 2 on Billboard Hot 100): “Them visuals were on point. They had it all,” one says in between archival footage of the group performing and the television coverage they received. Another adds: “One minute Milli Vanilli were there, the next minute they weren’t.”

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Another pivotal moment featured in the documentary is Milli Vanilli’s press conference on Nov. 20, 1990, which came after the Recording Academy revoked the pair’s 1990 best new artist Grammy award following the duo’s lip-synching controversy.

Pilatus, who died in 1998 after an accidental alcohol and drug overdose, tells the reporters in the archival footage, “We were seduced, we were abused, and we’re happy that it’s over. You get something, but you make a pact with the devil.”

Milli Vanilli — which features commentary from Billboard‘s contributing writer Gil Kaufman — arrives on Paramount+ Oct. 24.

Watch the trailer above.

Starr Bowenbank

Billboard