Motown legend Smokey Robinson is under investigation after four housekeepers accused him of sexual assault, per NBC News.
The housekeepers filed their lawsuit earlier in May, and a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson said on Thursday (May 15) that the investigation was in the early stages.
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Robinson’s attorney denied the allegations in the lawsuit, calling them “Vile” and “False” while accusing women’s lawyers of trying to enlist the public as an unwitting participant in the media circus they were trying to create.
--> Smokey Robinson’s lawyer says rape allegations against him are ‘vile’ and ‘false’
The soulful icons’ wife, Frances Robinson, was also named as a defendant in the suit, as she was accused of perpetuating a hostile work environment.
According to reports, the victims are seeking $50 million in damages. One of the women alleged that she was sexually assaulted at least 23 times between 2014 and 2020.
Another woman said she was assaulted at least 20 times during the 12 years she worked for Robinson, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
The suit identified the women as Jane Does 1-4, low-wage workers who had not previously come forward because they feared reprisal and public embarrassment.
According to the suit, three of the women said they were concerned about possible adverse effects on their immigration status.
Smokey’s attorney, Christopher Frost, issued Local 4 a statement about the suit.
“We are aware that a police report has now been filed by the Plaintiffs in the civil lawsuit.
It is clear to us what is happening here. Plaintiffs filed a police report only after they filed a $50 million lawsuit.
This means only that the police are now required to investigate. We welcome that investigation, which involves Plaintiffs who continue to hide their identities, because exposure to the truth is a powerful thing.
We feel confident that a determination will be made that Mr. Robinson did nothing wrong, and that this is a desperate attempt to prejudice public opinion and make even more of a media circus than the Plaintiffs were previously able to create.
The record will ultimately demonstrate that this is nothing more than a manufactured lawsuit intended to tarnish the good names of Smokey and Frances Robinson, for no other reason than unadulterated avarice."
Christopher Frost, FROST LLP