Music legend Smokey Robinson accused of sexual assault by 4 former employees

WARNING: This story includes details of alleged sexual assault and may affect those who have experienced​ ​​​sexual violence or know someone who's been impacted by it.

Four former housekeepers of Smokey Robinson allege in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that the Motown music luminary repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped them while they worked for him.

The suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court seeks at least $50 million US in damages over the alleged assaults, which the women say took place between 2007 and 2024, and labour violations, including a hostile work environment, illegally long hours and lack of pay.

The four women each say that Robinson would wait until he was alone with them in his Los Angeles house, then sexually assault and rape them over their objections.

"We believe that Mr. Robinson is a serial and sick rapist, and must be stopped," the women's lawyer, John Harris, said at a news conference.

All said they eventually quit over the assaults, though in some cases it took several years. And all said they feared coming forward over fears of retaliation, public shame and possible effects on their immigration status.

"Having to tell their husband and children of these despicable actions left them filled with shame and embarrassment," Harris said. "So throughout their dreadful experiences with Mr. Robinson, all four women remained silent."

He said as low-wage earners, they also all feared "missing a payday, and not being able to afford rent or buy food for their families."

All four women withheld their legal names, citing privacy concerns, and are identified as Jane Does in court documents.

One woman said she worked for Robinson and his wife, Frances, from 2012 until 2024, and was assaulted at least 20 times in that span. Another said she worked for them from 2014 until 2020, and was assaulted at least 23 times. Another said she worked for them for a year before quitting in 2024 and was assaulted at least seven times. The fourth woman, who said she also acted as Frances Robinson's personal assistant, hairdresser and cook, worked for them for 18 years before resigning in 2024. She cited similar experiences to the other women, but did not say how often she was assaulted.

Robinson's lawyer said allegations of rape and sexual assault against him are "vile" and "false."

Christopher Frost said in a statement Wednesday that the evidence "will show that this is simply an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon."

"We will be addressing the numerous aspects of the complaint that defy credulity, as well as issues relating to purported timelines, inconsistencies, and relationships between the plaintiffs and others," Frost's statement said.

Frost said that Robinson would soon address the allegations himself, and that they would be asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit.

Wife also named in suit

The women, some of whom worked for the Robinsons at the same time as each other, also kept stories of the assaults from one another, but are now bonding over their experience, the lawyers said. 

The Associated Press doesn't identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they publicly identify themselves. The women, whose names are withheld in the lawsuit, appeared with their lawyers at the news conference. They didn't speak, and they covered their faces with masks.

Frost called the news conference "bizarre theatrics," and an attempt to "enlist the public as an unwitting participant in the media circus they are trying to create. We ask anyone following this case to reserve judgment as the evidence comes to light and all the actual facts of the case unfold."

The lawsuit also names Robinson's wife as a defendant, alleging that she enabled his behaviour despite knowing about past sexual misconduct. It also blames her for the hostile work environment, saying she berated them with language that included ethnic slurs.

The suit seeks damages based on sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence and other allegations.

"Obviously, no amount of money can compensate these women for what Mr. Robinson put them through," Harris said. But he said the $50 million was warranted "based on the gravity of Mr. Robinson's despicable and reprehensible misconduct."

Herbert Hayden, another lawyer for the plaintiffs, said that while they felt the assaults are worthy of criminal investigation, the women have not filed police reports, based on the same fears that kept them from coming forward.

Born William Robinson, the singer began performing as a teen in his hometown of Detroit and eventually met Berry Gordy Jr., who would form Motown Records. Robinson was an integral part of the label as artist, producer and songwriter, scoring hits such as Shop Around, The Tracks of My Tears and The Tears of a Clown with his group The Miracles, while helping to write My Girl by The Temptations and Ain't That Peculiar by Marvin Gaye, among other hits.

He has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame, receiving the Gershwin Prize in 2016 for lifetime contributions to music.

Robinson released his latest album two weeks ago, What The World Needs Now, and is set to resume touring on Friday in Biloxi, Miss., with concert dates scheduled through September in both the U.S. and U.K.