Once a global R&B icon, selling 20 million records with En Vogue, Dawn Robinson now reveals a stark contrast—homelessness and car life—while embracing its benefits and dismissing any notions of pity.

Written By Jasmine Collins // EEW Magazine Online

Dawn Robinson, a founding member of the iconic R&B group En Vogue, has revealed a shocking truth: she has been living in her car for nearly three years. Yet, she emphasizes her contentment along this unexpected and challenging journey.

In a candid YouTube video posted on March 11, 2025, the 58-year-old appears in a gray “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” T-shirt, speaking openly from her vehicle parked in Malibu.

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“You guys, for the past almost three years, I have been living in my car,” she begins with a sigh, then exclaims, “I said it! Oh my God—it’s out,” placing her hand over her heart in a moment of raw vulnerability.

Robinson has previously shared details about her current living situation, though her past interviews on the topic did not gain widespread attention.

Her car-living journey, she explains, began in March 2022, after leaving her parents’ Las Vegas home amid personal strain during the pandemic. Robinson recounted the unraveling in her video, detailing her initial stay with her parents in Vegas. “That was wonderful until it wasn’t,” she said. “I love my mom, but she became very angry, and a lot of her anger, she was taking out on me. I was like, ‘I can’t deal with this. I respect her too much. Let me get out of here.’”

After spending about a month sleeping in her car in Vegas, she sought stability from a former co-manager in Los Angeles. “The guy that was co-managing me at the time was living in LA. And he said, ‘You need to come back to LA,’” she recalled. But upon arriving, she faced a setback. “He actually didn’t have room for me,” she noted, so he covered her stay in a hotel, initially for one night, which stretched to eight months.

Frustration built as Robinson tried to secure an apartment, expecting her co-manager’s financial support. “I knew he was playing games,” she said. “I wasn’t the one. I was like, come on, I’m trying to make this easier on you, because, financially I know it’s got to be hard because you’re paying your rent and paying my hotel!” As her co-manager struggled with the mounting hotel costs, she grew increasingly frustrated by his refusal to approve any apartments or neighborhoods she proposed. “You’re the one who said to go to the hotel and you’re not approving any of the apartments. It would be so much cheaper to just get me into an apartment,” she told viewers.

When the situation became unsustainable, Robinson left the hotel, drove to Malibu, and made the conscious decision to embrace life in her car.

“The first night was scary, but I learned the ropes quickly. I felt a sense of freedom,” she shared. Far from viewing her circumstances as a tragedy, Robinson sees this chapter as transformative. “I’m not in a sad place. I’m in a place of growth and learning,” she explained. “This is my spiritual journey, and I’m sharing it because it might help someone else.” She reassured viewers of her well-being, adding, “I have a gym membership, I shower there, I’m clean, I’m healthy—I’m good.”

This humble reality stands in stark contrast to Robinson’s illustrious past as an R&B icon. Born on November 24, 1966, in New London, Connecticut, she joined En Vogue in 1989 alongside Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. The group achieved monumental success, selling 20 million records with hits like “Hold On,” “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It),” and “Don’t Let Go (Love),” earning seven MTV Video Music Awards, two American Music Awards, and eight Grammy nominations.

However, her career path shifted after leaving En Vogue in 1997 over contract disputes. She joined Lucy Pearl in 2000, releasing a platinum album, and launched her solo career with Dawn in 2002. Though she briefly rejoined En Vogue in 2005 and 2009 for tours, she ultimately parted ways due to management issues, missing their 2023 release “Electric Cafe.”

Robinson’s story illuminates the harsh realities of the music industry, where even celebrated artists can face financial and personal instability. Yet, from her perspective, this is not a tale of woe.

“Society tends to look down on people living off-grid,” Robinson noted in her video, highlighting benefits like saving money in a strained economy. While some criticize and others sympathize, she added, “It’s been an unexpected path that I’ve enjoyed quite a bit.” According to her, “the beauty of it is learning that I can do all these things myself.”
Watch the full video from Dawn Robinson’s YouTube channel below.