LOS ANGELES — A lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court alleges that four former housekeepers of Motown icon Smokey Robinson were repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped by him during their employment.
The lawsuit seeks a minimum of $50 million in damages, citing alleged assaults occurring between 2007 and 2024, as well as labor violations, including a hostile work environment, excessively long hours, and unpaid wages.
As of now, representatives for Robinson, 85, have not responded to requests for comment.
According to the lawsuit, the four women claim Robinson waited until he was alone with them in his Los Angeles residence to sexually assault and rape them against their will.
“We believe that Mr. Robinson is a serial and sick rapist, and must be stopped,” stated the women’s attorney, John Harris, during a press conference.
The women stated they eventually resigned due to the alleged assaults, some after several years of employment. They all expressed fears of retaliation, public humiliation, and potential impacts on their immigration status as reasons for their initial silence.
Harris explained, “Having to tell their husband and children of these despicable actions left them filled with shame and embarrassment. So throughout their dreadful experiences with Mr. Robinson, all four women remained silent.”
He added that, as low-wage earners, they also feared “missing a payday, and not being able to afford rent or buy food for their families.”
All four women have chosen to remain anonymous for privacy reasons and are identified as Jane Does in court documents. They attended the press conference with their legal team, but did not speak and wore masks to conceal their identities.
The lawsuit also names Robinson’s wife, Frances Robinson, as a defendant, alleging she enabled his behavior despite being aware of past sexual misconduct. She is also accused of creating a hostile work environment by allegedly using ethnic slurs towards the women.
One woman stated she was employed by the Robinsons from 2012 to 2024 and was allegedly assaulted at least 20 times during that period. Another claimed she worked for them from 2014 to 2020 and was assaulted at least 23 times. A third woman reported working for them for a year before quitting in 2024 and being assaulted at least seven times. The fourth woman, who also served as Frances Robinson’s personal assistant, hairdresser, and cook, worked for them for 18 years before resigning in 2024, citing similar experiences but not specifying the number of assaults.
The attorneys stated that the women, some of whom worked for the Robinsons concurrently, initially kept their experiences to themselves but are now finding support in sharing their stories. They declined to provide details at the press conference about how the women connected and discovered the others.
The suit seeks damages based on claims of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence, and other related allegations.
“Obviously, no amount of money can compensate these women for what Mr. Robinson put them through,” Harris said. He asserted that the $50 million demand is justified “based on the gravity of Mr. Robinson’s despicable and reprehensible misconduct.”
Plaintiffs’ attorney Herbert Hayden mentioned that, while they believe the assaults warrant a criminal investigation, the women have not filed police reports due to the same fears that prevented them from coming forward earlier.
Robinson, an inductee of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, achieved considerable success in the 1960s with his group, the Miracles, and as a solo artist, with hits like “Tears of a Clown” and “The Tracks of My Tears.”
He played a vital role in the Motown Records music scene in Detroit as an artist, producer, and songwriter for other musicians.