Life has a way of throwing unexpected curveballs, and no one knows that better than former En Vogue member Dawn Robinson. The iconic 90s R&B star recently shared her surprising journey in a YouTube video, opening up about how things took an unexpected turn in the past few years.
“For almost three years now, I’ve been living in my car,” she revealed. In 2020, rising tensions with her mother led her to move out of her parents’ home in Las Vegas. She spent a month living in her car there, and then her co-manager at the time suggested she move to Los Angeles, offering a place to stay until she could find something more permanent.
But when Robinson arrived in LA, she was in for a shock. Her co-manager had no space for her. Instead, he offered to cover her hotel stay—which ended up lasting nearly eight months. Even though he was paying, Robinson said the constant stress of the costs wore on her, and her attempts to find a more affordable apartment were dismissed.
Determined to take control, Robinson decided to make a change.
“I told my assistant one day, ‘I’ve been researching car life,’” she explained. “There’s a whole community of people who live in their cars, RVs, and vans. I loved what I saw and thought, ‘If they can do it, maybe I can too.’” So, she ended up living in her car—and she’s been doing it for the past three years.
Despite the challenges, Robinson stays positive, seeing this period as one of personal growth.
“This isn’t a ‘poor Dawn, living in her car’ situation,” she clarified. “It’s been about learning who I am. I’m growing as a person, as a woman. If you had told me back when I was in En Vogue, ‘You’re going to be living in your car one day,’ I would’ve laughed and said, ‘No way, I’m always going to have an apartment.’ We often say we can’t do things before we even know what we’re capable of.”
Reflecting on the experience, she said, “I’m glad I made this choice. I needed to go through this fire… this period of isolation. I wouldn’t trade any of it for anything. I miss my family, but I’m proud of myself. I’d rather be on my own right now, and I’ll see my family when it’s time and when things change.”
