‘90s girl group TLC’s property woes after fame

They were one of the biggest selling girl groups of the ‘90s, thanks to hit songs Creep, Waterfalls and No Scrubs.

Despite earning an estimated $US175 million ($A264 million), TLC famously told press at the 1996 Grammys that they were “broke as broke can be” — with the trio’s real estate ventures as tumultuous as their personal finances.

Since they hit it big in 1992, the group had to cope with a bad management contract.

Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, and the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes had signed a record deal that would have all three members split just $US0.56 cents ($A0.84 cents) per each album sold.

Here’s a closer look at the property moves of the pop superstars and the contract that left them in debt.

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T-Boz

Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins faced significant financial stress that impacted her home in Georgia.

In 2011, the singer filed for bankruptcy. She owed creditors $US768,000 ($A1.1 million) mostly from mortgages on her $US1.2 million house ($A1.8 million), Fox News reports.

The Grammy-winner earned around $US12,000 ($A18,000) per month, with $US1200 ($A1800) coming from royalties.

The musician also claimed that her monthly expenses amounted to $US9000 ($A13,000) per month.

In 2012, Watkins was forced to sell her mansion for half price after facing foreclosure.

The residence, which was originally purchased for over $US1.12 million, was sold for a heavily discounted $US680,000 ($A1 million).

Watkins has since bounced back financially with a net worth of $US3 million ($4.5 million).

Over the years, the rapper has overcome health battles.

Watkins suffered from sickle cell anaemia, which caused her to spend the first seven years of her life in a hospital. Doctors told her she wouldn’t live past 30.

Still, she pushed through painful episodes to perform with TLC.

“It feels like someone is stabbing you over and over again in your joints with a butcher knife,” Watkins said in the 2023 documentary TLC Forever.

The artist’s health problems continued. In 2007, she was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

“My doctor … said, ‘In case something goes wrong and I can’t save either your hearing, your face or your balance, give me the order that you want to save yourself’,” she said.

“So they took my balance, I saved my face for the most part, and my hearing only lost three per cent at the time.”

Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes

The most explosive chapter in TLC’s property history belongs to the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes.

In 1994, the singer got into a highly publicised domestic dispute with her then-boyfriend, former NFL star Andre Rison.

Lopes set fire to Rison’s new shoes after a violent argument and the fire spread to his $US1.3 million ($A1.9 million) Atlanta mansion.

“News reports at the time were very much blaming Lisa as the crazy rapper who lit the house on fire,” Thomas said TLC Forever.

As Lopes was arrested and indicted on charges of first-degree arson, the threesome took the heat together, the New York Post reports.

“[The industry] turned on us, like we all were arsonists,” Watkins said in the documentary.

But in the end, the notoriety appeared to push TLC even higher — later that same year, their second album, CrazySexyCool, proved to be a smash.

TLC would famously pose for the November 1994 cover of Vibe magazine in fireman uniforms. The headline: “Burning up the charts and burning down the house.”

The trio’s hot streak continued with 1999’s FanMail, featuring the No.1 singles No Scrubs and Unpretty.

However, Lopes was starting to drift away from the group over creative differences. In fact, the rapper had been working on a solo album, Supernova.

In 2002, Lopes was killed in a car accident while she was on a retreat with her sisters and friends in Honduras. She was 30 years old.

At the time of death, Lopes reportedly had a net worth of $US500,000 ($A750,000).

While details about her real estate holdings are scarce, the music star resided in Atlanta when she passed away.

Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas

Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas proved the most stable of the trio, wisely building her home from scratch.

In 1996, the singer purchased an undeveloped plot of land in Stone Mountain, Georgia for $US67,000 ($A101,000). The pop star constructed a four-bedroom mansion.

Similar homes in the area are now estimated to fetch between $US1.5 million – $US2 million ($A2.2 million – $A3 million).

Thomas has a net worth of $US6 million ($A9 million).

Record deal that left TLC bankrupt

The group claimed they signed an unfair contract with married producer/managers Perri “Pebbles” Reid and LA Reid.

Perri managed the group through her company, Pebbitone. LA’s label, LaFace Records, distributed their albums.

It’s alleged Perri cheated the band out of millions and TLC filed for bankruptcy in 1995 after the release of their diamond certified 1994 album CrazySexyCool.

According to Thomas, when money came in, the band was splitting between around $US5000 ($A7500).

“I knew the contract wasn’t great,” sighs Thomas, “but I wanted to be in TLC and I thought I’d worry about the other stuff later.

“Pebbles [their manager and the ex-wife of their label’s co-owner] was like, ‘If you don’t want to sign the contract, then y’all should get out of the room’.

“So by the time I was brought to the table, Left Eye and T-Boz had already put their names on paper.”

Thomas told The Sun in 2017 bankruptcy at the height of their success was hard.

“You are just out there working hard, not making anything, but they are making all of the money,” she said.

“It was because of our contracts and when people aren’t advising you the proper way.

“After our first album there was no renegotiation when your contract is jacked up.

“That’s why we said, shall we do this just one more time? It is definitely not the end of TLC as far as touring but making an album is difficult. The business has changed a lot.”

After two years of legal battles, TLC were allowed to renegotiate with LaFace for a more equitable deal.

Thomas and Watkins revealed to The Guardian in 2017 the financial lessons they learned from this experience.

“I have learned the hard way: sign your own checks, make sure your taxes are in shape and whatever your company is, it’s always good to get it audited,” Thomas said.

“If you don’t have anything to hide, it’s not a worry.”

Watkins relayed: “It’s not personal. It’s business.

“Everyone in this industry has an agenda. Accountants, lawyers, people you think you know will keep running up the bill.

“You have to watch your back on every corner.”

Parts of this story first appeared in the New York Post and The Sun and were republished with permission.

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