In a surprising turn, Dawn Robinson from En Vogue, the famous R&, B girl group known for their hits in the ‘ 90s, revealed that she had recently been living in a car while struggling to get by.
She shared her story of homelessness in a video posted on YouTube earlier this week. “For the past three – almost three years, I have been living in my car… I said it. Oh my God”, the 58-year-old singer, who had a successful solo career before returning to En Vogue, said in the clip.
Dawn’s struggles began in 2020 when she felt compelled to move out the Las Vegas home she shared with her mother. The musician continued: “I can’t deal with this. I respect her too much. I didn’t understand it. I still don’t and it hurt me. I was just trying to figure it out but I couldn’t… you can’t read someone else’s mind and you can’t figure them out”.
Her exit led her to spend around a month sleeping in her vehicle in the heat of Las Vegas. During this time, her manager encouraged her to head back to Los Angeles, a city she “loved”. Initially, the plan was for her to crash with her manager until she found stability, but space issues arose due to both having dogs. After living in a hotel, with the support of her manager, and struggling to find suitable rental accommodation, Dawn decided to leave hotel life behind and took her car to Malibu in 2022.
Dawn has lived out of her car ever since and has adapted to her living arrangement, revealing she now feels “free”. But, the singer isn’t the only celebrity to have fallen on hard times. In fact, many celebrities have had to battle homelessness or extreme financial difficulties before eventually finding their way to the top. Let’s take a closer look at some well-known stars who have faced adversity and struggled with homelessness or financial difficulties.
Halle Berry
Before Halle Berry became an Oscar-winning actress, she was living in a homeless shelter in New York City. Halle had moved to the city to pursue acting, but after running out of money, she had no choice but to seek shelter. She eventually landed small roles and went on to become one of Hollywood’s most recognised actresses, starring in films like Monster’s Ball and X-Men.
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez faced financial difficulties early in her career. Before her big break, she was living in a small apartment in the Bronx while working as a dancer in low-paying jobs. JLo’s career took off after her role in Selena (1977), and she soon became a multi-talented superstar, excelling in acting, singing, and fashion. She made her chart debut in May 1999 with her hit song If You Had My Love. The song topped the charts in six countries, including the USA.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey experienced homelessness throughout his teens after his family went from “lower-middle class to complete poverty” when his father lost his job as an accountant. Forced to live out of a van and in a tent, Jim supported his family by working as a janitor while still attending school. According to an interview with James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio, Jim became angry and withdrawn, with his grades and mental health suffering as a result. His breakthrough came in 1994 when he got a lead role in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone’s journey was a challenging one before the release of Rocky. In the early 1970s, Sylvester faced extreme financial hardship and even homelessness while struggling to find work. At his lowest point, he had to sell his family dog because he couldn’t afford to care for it. “I was at the end — the very end of my rope”, Sylvester reflected in a 2001 commentary for the Rocky DVD.
Sylvester wrote the screenplay for Rocky and, after much persistence, was able to sell it on the condition that he would play the lead role. The movie became a major success, launching his career. Rocky earned over $225 million at the box office and brought Sylvester nominations for Best Actor and Best Screenplay in 1977.
Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank and her mother were living in a car after they moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career. The pair ended up living in their car after her parents ‘ separation. “We stayed in her Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme on quiet streets”, Hilary told The Wall Street Journal. “When we weren’t in the car, we stayed at a friend’s house, sleeping on an air mattress”.
Hilary had grown up in a trailer park in Bellingham, Washington, facing financial struggles from a young age. While she tried to remain positive, she felt the sting of social rejection from wealthier peers.
“It wasn’t until I was excluded from dinners and playdates that I realised living in a trailer park made me an outcast”, she said. “Though I knew I was perceived as different, I didn’t immediately understand the classism. Then I did. I also understood that where we lived was a bigger issue for people than who I was”. Hilary faced a series of challenges, but she eventually landed the role in Boys Don’t Cry (1999), which earned her an Academy Award. She went on to win another Oscar for her role in Million Dollar Baby (2004).
Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig faced many struggles as an actor, taking on various small roles to make ends meet. When work was scarce, he resorted to sleeping on park benches in London while hoping for a bigger opportunity. The star later became internationally known as James Bond.
The actor has earned several notable awards throughout his career. In 2000, he won the British Independent Film Award for Best Actor for his role in Some Voices. He’s also received the Empire Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of James Bond in Casino Royale. Daniel also won the Critics ‘ Choice Movie Award for Best Actor in an Action Movie for Skyfall in 2013.
Natasha Lyonne
Actress Natasha Lyonne shot to fame in hit movie American Pie. But her struggles with addiction reportedly led her to living on the streets for a stint.
In 2004 she had been staying at her actor friend Michael Rapaport’s house. But, she was later evicted, leaving her homeless. While living in the Manhattan townhouse, she was arrested for harassing neighbours and destroying property. On the eviction and fallout, she told Entertainment Weekly: “At the time I didn’t understand, but now it’s like, if I owned a nice brownstone—and]someone] was constantly moving pianos while listening to Richard Pryor CDs, and trying to figure out how to play Easy Like Sunday Morning on the piano for days at a time—I would potentially be p**sed too”.
Natasha, who at the time was also facing issues with addiction in her life, later had the charges dropped. Her career took an upturn when she was cast on Netflix hit Orange Is The New Black.
Shania Twain
Shania Twain grew up in poverty, and after her parents’ divorce, she and her family lived in a shelter. She previously told KIIS FM presenter Kyle Sandilands: “First we went to a battered women’s sort of crisis centre until they can place you in a battered women’s home. Thankfully we were placed fairly quickly within a week or two into a battered wives home which was so necessary, all the steps are necessary to keep you protected and off the street so it’s better to be in a homeless shelter than be homeless on the street.”
Shania went on to become one of the best-selling female artists in country music with hits like Man! I Feel Like a Woman! and You’re Still the One.
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Source: Mirror
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