Dawn Robinson Opens Up About Her Living Situation
Dawn Robinson opened up about her nontraditional living arrangement in a lengthy YouTube video posted to her official channel on Wednesday.
“For the past three — almost three years, I have been living in my car,” Robinson said. “I said it. Oh, my God. It’s out. I’ve been living in my car.”
The founding member of the R&B and pop girl group En Vogue—known for 1990s hits such as Hold On and Don’t Let Go—said she started living out of her vehicle after moving out of her parents’ home.
“If you remember, if you guys were with me in 2020, I did like 105,000 interviews, and in the interim, I was living with my parents in Vegas, and that was wonderful until it wasn’t,” Robinson said.
Struggles with Family and Finding Stability
The singer said her relationship with her mother, in particular, deteriorated over time, and she eventually decided to move out.
“I love my mom, but … I was like, ‘I can’t deal with this. Like, I respect her too much,'” Robinson continued. “I didn’t understand it. I still don’t, and it hurt me, so … I was like, let me get out of here.”
At first, Robinson said a former co-manager encouraged her to move to Los Angeles and stay with them temporarily, but things didn’t go as planned. A one-night hotel stay turned into an extended eight-month stay as she attempted to find a suitable apartment to rent.
“The hotel stay cost too much to be a long-term solution, and I began looking online for other options,” she said.
Discovering the “Car Life” Community
Robinson soon learned about an entire online community of people embracing alternative living situations.
“I told my assistant one day, ‘I have been researching car life. There’s a whole community of people that live in their cars and a whole community of people who live in their RVs and a whole community of people that live in vans,” Robinson said. “And I loved what I was seeing. I just thought, ‘Wow, I could do that.'”
Van Life and alternative living communities have grown in popularity in recent years, as rising housing costs have pushed many to explore unconventional living arrangements.
Adjusting to Her New Reality
Robinson said she left her hotel on March 9, 2022, and traveled to Malibu, California. She quickly found herself embracing her new lifestyle.
“I felt free,” Robinson said. “I felt like, ‘Wow, this is so different.’ I felt like I was on a camping trip. It just felt like it was the right thing to do. I didn’t regret it.”
She emphasized that while some may feel sorry for her, she has embraced her journey and does not seek pity.
“I’m proud of me, and I’d rather be on my own right now and see my family when it’s time and when things change,” she added.
A Personal Journey of Growth
Robinson has been documenting her “adventure” and “journey” to inspire others.
“I wouldn’t trade my experiences and what I’ve gone through for the world,” she said. “I miss everybody that I was connected to, but I needed to do this alone and without everybody’s judgment.”
Reflecting on her time in En Vogue, Robinson admitted she never imagined herself living in a car.
“We’re capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for as human beings,” Robinson said. “I challenge you to do the things that are scary. Do things that you don’t think that you’re capable of but you wanted to do.”
For more on alternative living lifestyles, check out these resources:
