When the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez made headlines on June 9, 1994 after burning down the multi-million dollar mansion of boyfriend and NFL star Andre Rison, the incident became one of pop culture’s most infamous events. The volatile and at times physical relationship between Left Eye—a member of the superstar rap-R&B trio TLC, which included T-Boz and Chili—and Rison, an all-pro receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, came to a head just as group were set to start work on their second studio album, 1994’s Grammy-winning CrazySexyCool (LaFace), which eventually sold more than 10 million copies. Following a heated fight at Rison’s Alpharetta, Georgia home, Left Eye reportedly tossed some of his possessions in a bathtub, doused them with lighter fluid and set them on fire. The bathroom became engulfed in flames, eventually spreading through the entire house. Left Eye was later arrested and indicted on charges of first-degree arson. She was sentenced to five years of probation, ordered into a month-long residence in an alcohol treatment program and received counseling at a program for battered women.
Yet, Left Eye was able to move beyond the ugly incident. She and TLC appeared on a tongue-and-cheek November ’94 cover of VIBE in firefighter uniforms and released another multi-platinum album (1999’s FanMail, LaFace). In 2002, she made plans to set up an educational center in Honduras, but during a spiritual retreat in the Central American country she died in a tragic car accident. But the legend of Left Eye and TLC lives on through their classic albums and the spirited rapper’s charity work.
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