Credited from: BBC
Four anonymous women, former housekeepers for Smokey Robinson, have filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court accusing the Motown music legend of sexual assault, battery, and creating a hostile work environment. The suit alleges that the 85-year-old musician subjected them to repeated sexual misconduct from 2007 until 2024, while his wife, Frances Robinson, allegedly ignored the behavior and contributed to an abusive atmosphere, according to Newsweek, NPR, HuffPost, Reuters, and Channel News Asia.
Represented as Jane Does, the plaintiffs' allegations detail disturbing accounts of multiple assaults wherein they were subjected to sexual violence in Robinson's residences. The lawsuit seeks $50 million in damages and outlines various labor violations, such as improper wages and failure to provide necessary breaks, as reported by NY Times, CBS News, and BBC.
These allegations come to light after the plaintiffs claim they stayed silent for years due to intimidation from Robinson's celebrity status and concerns about their job stability, as highlighted by Bangkok Post, NY Times, and BBC.
Although Robinson has not issued a formal statement regarding the lawsuit, his legal team has vehemently denied the claims, referring to them as "vile" and asserting that the lawsuit constitutes a malicious attempt to exploit his celebrity status for financial gain, according to Newsweek, NPR, and HuffPost.