Matthew Lawrence Reveals How Girlfriend Chilli Helped Him Prepare for The Masked Singer

Matthew Lawrence Reveals How Girlfriend Chilli Helped Him Prepare for The Masked Singer

April 17, 2025 | 

It turns out Matthew Lawrence had Grammy-winning vocal coach at home while preparing for his big reveal on The Masked Singer. The actor, who was unmasked as “Paparazzo” in Season 13, surprised fans by singing TLC’s “Unpretty” — and yes, he got help from none other than his girlfriend, Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas.

Performing a song made famous by your partner’s iconic group? Definitely intimidating.

“Are you kidding me?! I didn’t want to butcher her song,” Matthew admitted. “I even had to talk to her bandmate, T-Boz, since she helped write it. It was honestly kind of embarrassing, but they were both super cool about it.”

The TLC track made it onto his list of favorite songs during pre-show prep, and producers actually picked it. “I didn’t think they’d go with it, but they did,” he laughed. “It’s one of those songs I’d sing in the car or the shower — total guilty pleasure.”

Chilli Was His Secret Weapon

Thankfully, Chilli didn’t just give her blessing — she helped him rehearse. “She gave me real advice. Like, pace your breathing, because singing while moving around can really mess you up,” Matthew shared. “She even gave me a few vocal runs to try. She was amazing.”

And the big question: was she impressed?
“She made it seem like she was,” he said with a smile. “She’s sweet like that. Her favorite was actually when I sang ‘Hallelujah’ earlier in the season.”

Conquering Stage Fright

Believe it or not, Matthew almost said no to the show. Years ago, he bombed a major Broadway audition and never quite got over it. “It was brutal,” he said. “But I’m in a place now where I want to stop letting fear make my decisions.”

Even though he’s not planning a music career anytime soon, being on The Masked Singer gave him something bigger: the confidence to step out of his comfort zone.

“I’m just trying to say yes more and trust myself,” he said. “And honestly, this experience helped me do that.”

Catch new episodes of The Masked Singer Wednesdays on FOX at 8 p.m. ET, with streaming available the next day on Hulu.

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