I was a big 90’s star and made so much money my life was in danger – now I’m renovating houses for cash

A HUGE ’90s star who rose to fame and fortune before falling from grace is now a real estate developer living a much quieter life.

The pop star, best known for his hit song “Ice, Ice Baby,” has reinvented herself time and time again, from chart-topper to reality star, world-class jet skier and DIY expert.

The 90's celebrity has retired from the limelight and is now in the real estate industry

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The 90’s celebrity has retired from the limelight and is now in the real estate industryCredit: Getty Images – WireImage
The pop star is best known for his hit song Ice, Ice Baby

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The pop star is best known for his hit song Ice, Ice BabyPhoto credit: Getty – Contributor

Robert, better known as Vanilla Ice, has established himself as a home improvement expert with his DIY Network show, The Vanilla Ice Project.

It has more than 100 episodes and nine seasons.

And what could be more natural than that, being known for his style, he would lend his name to a lighting series made up of chandeliers and sconces?

The one-hit wonder, real name Robert Van Winkle, has also produced a seven-part BBC podcast, The Disappearance of Shergar the Super Horse, about the famous 1981 Derby winner.

He called the crime thriller “the most amazing story of all time” and appeals to a Hollywood director Steven Spielberg wants to make a movie about it.

Robert, 53, said: “This story just fascinates you, it’s like a really good book – you just can’t put it down. It has to be a Hollywood blockbuster, a top star, top producers – Spielberg has to come and do it.”

Shergar, owned by the Aga Khan, was abducted from Ballymany Stud Farm in County Kildare, Ireland. The horse, valued at £10million, is believed to have been taken by the IRA to buy arms at the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, but the thoroughbred horse’s body has never been found.

And while Vanilla Ice might not be the first person you’d think of hosting a podcast like this, he’s always had a thing for horses.

Robert wrote Ice, Ice Baby when he was just 16, using a sample of the legendary Queen and David Bowie song Under Pressure.

Seven years later, the song with the famous line “Stop, Collaborate and Listen” made him a millionaire before his 21st birthday. More than 40 million records have been sold.

His album To The Extreme topped the Billboard charts in America – staying there for an incredible 16 weeks and selling more than 13 million copies.

It made this American rapper, whom his black and Mexican friends nicknamed “Vanilla” in the breakdance scene, more famous than he could have ever imagined.

He dated the Queen of Pop for eight months and appeared topless stroking a fully nude Madonna for her controversial “Sex” photo book.

Vanilla Ice's fame brought him to the attention of Madonna

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Vanilla Ice’s fame brought him to the attention of MadonnaPhoto credit: Rex functions

Emma James

Emma James is a USTimesPost U.S. News Reporter based in London. His focus is on U.S. politics and the environment. He has covered climate change extensively, as well as healthcare and crime. Emma James joined USTimesPost in 2023 from the Daily Express and previously worked for Chemist and Druggist and the Jewish Chronicle. He is a graduate of Cambridge University. Languages: English. You can get in touch with me by emailing emmajames@ustimespost.com.

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