Fab Morvan says he never had the conversation with Clive Davis that could have closed one of the most painful chapters of his career.
The Milli Vanilli member spoke to TMZ in New York City after Davis died at 94. Morvan said he and the legendary music executive never repaired their relationship after the lip-syncing scandal that ended Milli Vanilli’s run as one of pop’s biggest acts.
Davis died Monday at his Manhattan home after a recent hospitalization for respiratory problems, Reuters reported. His career stretched from Columbia Records to Arista, J Records and Sony Music, with major roles in the careers of Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin, Santana, Alicia Keys and many others.
Morvan Said the Relationship Was Never Repaired
TMZ asked Morvan about Davis on Tuesday, shortly after the executive’s death. The outlet reported that Morvan said he never got the chance to patch things up with Davis before he died.
TMZ wrote that he described death as part of life and did not appear to be carrying lingering bad blood, even though the old conflict was never resolved.
Their split traced back to Arista Records, the label Davis founded and later led as Milli Vanilli became a global pop act in the late 1980s.
The Falling Out Traced Back to Milli Vanilli’s Collapse
Milli Vanilli, made up of Morvan and Rob Pilatus, became famous after the release of Girl You Know It’s True in 1989. People reported that the group’s image collapsed after producer Frank Farian revealed in November 1990 that Morvan and Pilatus had not sung on the album.
People reported that Milli Vanilli were stripped of their 1990 Grammy Award for Best New Artist, dropped by Arista Records and hit with class-action lawsuits from fans.
The scandal also left a dispute over who knew what and when. The Guardian reported in 2023 that former Arista executives claimed Davis knew about the lip-syncing before the Grammys, while Davis denied knowing in 2017 footage used in the Milli Vanilli documentary.
Morvan Has Been Reclaiming the Story
Morvan has spent recent years revisiting the scandal through interviews, a documentary cycle and his memoir, You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli.
The audiobook brought him back into the Grammy conversation decades after Milli Vanilli’s award was rescinded. The Recording Academy lists Morvan as a 2026 nominee for Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording for You Know It’s True.
In a February interview with The Guardian, Morvan said he wanted the memoir to be as truthful as possible. He described the Milli Vanilli years as both a dream and a nightmare, and said the backlash after the scandal was brutal for both him and Pilatus.
Davis’ Death Leaves That Rift Unsettled
Davis’ death has brought tributes from across the music industry, with Reuters describing him as one of the most influential figures in American rock and pop music.
Morvan’s comments add a more complicated piece to that week of remembrance. Davis helped shape a long list of major careers, but his Arista years also included the Milli Vanilli scandal, a controversy that permanently changed Morvan’s life.
Morvan told TMZ the conversation with Davis never happened. The unresolved part of the story now stays that way.