Dawn Robinson Reveals ‘Car Life’ Challenges and What She’s Learned (Exclusive) ArticlePure

• After Dawn Robinson recently revealed she’s been living in her car for three years, the former En Vogue member is opening up to PEOPLE about her situation
• “I’m proud of what I’ve done,” she declares, noting that this isn’t a “valley” in her life — as she chose the path for herself
• The musician also reflects on her time with En Vogue and why she holds “love” for her former bandmates despite feeling “forced” out of the group

Dawn Robinson is looking out for herself.

After the former En Vogue member revealed she’s been living in her car for the past three years in a viral March 11 video shared to YouTube, she’s opening up about what led to the decision — and why it’s a “healing” time in her life.

“We don’t give ourselves enough credit for the things that we do, and we doubt ourselves,” the 58-year-old founding member of the “Free Your Mind” group tells PEOPLE. “It’s like, ‘Oh, wow. Could I ever sleep in my car? If I ever had to do that, could I?'”

In the revelatory YouTube video, filmed in her car, Robinson explained she lived in Las Vegas with her parents in 2020 before choosing to leave due to issues in her relationship with her mother. “I love her,” she says now. “I could have put my head down, be quiet and do as she says, but I didn’t do that.”

The singer moved to Los Angeles at her former manager’s suggestion, she explained in the video, and stayed with him for some time before relocating to a hotel while she looked for an apartment. Her search was unsuccessful, however, as the manager allegedly disapproved of the places she chose.

“I could have stayed, like I said, in that hotel and let him continue to pay and pay and pay and pay,” says Robinson, who ultimately chose to “take control of my situation” in 2022 and live in her car in California.

“I’m proud of what I’ve done,” she declares, noting that this isn’t a “valley” in her life — as she chose the path for herself. “Every day I have to make this work, and I have done it quite well.”

Fans of En Vogue may wonder why Robinson is unable to get an apartment or house of her own after earning several top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “Hold On,” “Free Your Mind” and “Whatta Man,” during her original tenure with the group from 1989-1997.

Following their successful breakthrough period, according to Robinson, herself and bandmates Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron and Maxine Jones were offered an unfavorable recording deal, so she stepped away from the group. “Once you sell a million copies, you’re supposed to tear up that old contract and go in for new options,” she says.

While Robinson has reunited with En Vogue on several occasions since her initial exit, disagreements over other business deals have kept her from officially rejoining the group for another album. “It’s not even just for me,” she urges. “It’s overall for the group. Like, why wouldn’t you guys want to get paid more?”

The rest of En Vogue has carried on and brought in other members Amanda Cole and Rhona Bennett to fill in the fourth slot throughout the years. Robinson still holds “love” for her former bandmates today, but she ultimately feels as though she was “forced” out of the group at the “peak” of their careers. “I’ve had to heal [from] that,” she says.

Looking back on her time with En Vogue, Robinson notes she was “a road girl” back then. “When we were on the road, if we had a chance to take a flight because the trip was going to be long, like a 24-hour trip on the bus, we would stay on the bus, me and Terry,” she recalls, connecting her penchant for road trips to her comfort on the road today.

“Car life, until you’re in it, you don’t know the freedom of what it is,” says the musician, who notes people would “be surprised” by how much space she has in the vehicle, to which she’s added a foldable twin mattress in the back. “From the outside, the perception is that it’s a very small compact car, and it’s not. Inside, it’s very roomy.”

Of course, there are hardships along with her current lifestyle. Originally the main issue was rain, but she’s since weatherstripped her car. Now, she says, “It’s really just every day having to go into the gym and shower there as opposed to just walking into your own bathroom at home.”

“It’s also not being able to cook,” explains Robinson, who eats at restaurants every day — aware fans may think that means she has enough money to get an apartment, but she clarifies: “I have a former mother-in-law, and my friend, sister-slash-assistant… They keep me going, and I have their help.”

Despite the difficulties, Robinson feels free. “This is a very healing time for me,” she says. “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.”

She’s also optimistic about the future. “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,” says Robinson.