En Vogue Members Say Dawn Robinson Can Return Anytime Despite 1997 Split

En Vogue members Cindy Herron, Terry Ellis, and Maxine Jones say they have always wanted founding member Dawn Robinson to return to the group, even as they push back on her characterization of her departure and dispute claims of financial mistreatment.

Robinson, 58, drew widespread attention in March 2025 after revealing in a YouTube video that she had been living in her car since 2022, following a falling out with her mother and a failed apartment search in Los Angeles. Her former bandmates say the public response subjected them to unfair scrutiny.

Terry stated, "People are like, 'how dare you guys, she's living in her car,' but they have no idea. She's told us multiple times, 'I'll never come back.' The door has never been closed to Dawn. We've always wanted her back. We wish her the best."

Cindy told People magazine: "You're letting the world in on what should be private moments and then they take that and run with it."

Robinson originally left En Vogue in March 1997, shortly before the release of the group's third studio album EV3, after contractual negotiations reached a stalemate. Her departure prompted the remaining trio to re-record several of her lead vocals. Her bandmates say they begged her to stay.

Terry said, "Never in a million years would I have thought that she would leave. She would just have moments of upset, and 99% of the time, we didn't even know why."

Maxine added, "I remember when she left, me calling her up and saying, 'Are you crazy? Why?' I literally begged her."

The group also took issue with Robinson's past statements about the group's finances.

Terry said: "Dawn's platform for the longest has been that we've been broke, that we never made any money, that we got two pennies per album. And that's not the case. Ours was a standard contract; we all signed off on it."

Maxine noted: "Egos got bigger. She became adamant about being solo. She's the star. Dawn has been that girl since day one. The wild one. She's never changed."

Robinson, who has rejoined En Vogue for select events over the years, including appearances in 2005 and 2009, has framed her current situation as a personal choice and a period of growth. She shared, "This is a very healing time for me. I literally pray a lot. I talk to God. I cry about my mother. I get a lot of that out because I have to heal that part of me. When I build my career to where I want it to be, and when I have a resurgence of my career, that's when I'll decide that it's going to be enough of my car life, and I will be in my house or my apartment."

En Vogue, which earned six GRAMMY nominations during its career, was formed in Oakland, California, in 1989.