Industry

Milli Vanilli: Two Competing Groups Claiming the Name, Both Deny "Freedom 250" Performance

Two groups are currently touring under the name Milli Vanilli, one featuring Fab Morvan. Both have issued statements denying any involvement with the controversial "Freedom 250" festival, despite promoters announcing their participation.

Variety Music·May 29, 2026·via Variety Music

Milli Vanilli: Two Competing Groups Claiming the Name, Both Deny "Freedom 250" Performance

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May 29, 2026 10:33am PT

Is Milli Vanilli Playing ‘Freedom 250’ or Not? It Depends Which of the Two Competing ‘Real’ Milli Vanillis You Ask … but Fab Morvan Says He’s Doing It

Morvan and a woman who sang on the original Milli Vanilli recordings, Jodie Rocco, both claim to be the true representatives of the tainted act's legacy. That's complicated media coverage of the fracas over the festival in D.C., and who's in or out.

By Chris Willman

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Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

ChrisWillman

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Is Milli Vanilli performing at the controversial, Trump-backed “ Freedom 250 ” festival in Washington, D.C. or not? If not, is it true they were never even approached, let alone booked? If they are, why is the press reporting differently? And, most importantly of all, who is “they,” anyway, when it comes to Milli Vanilli in 2026?

All valid questions, even if some news media haven’t thought through all of them. To the extent that all Milli Vanilli mysteries can be plumbed, the answer appears to be that there are two competing artists (or sets of artists) who claim to represent the “real” Milli Vanilli, and there is some enmity between them.