Smokey Robinson sued for sexual assault, rape by former housekeepers

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"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" from Wednesday, April 30 included guests Allison Janney and Smokey Robinson. (Disney/Randy Holmes) SMOKEY ROBINSON (Photo by Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images)

FOX 2 - Motown legend and Detroit native Smokey Robinson is facing sexual assault and rape allegations in a lawsuit.

The backstory:

Robinson, 85, is being sued for at least $50 million in damages against four former housekeepers that allegedly took place between 2007 and 2024. The suit. filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, also claims labor violations including a hostile work environment, illegally long hours and lack of pay.

A message from the Associated Press seeking comment from a representative for Robinson was not immediately answered.

Robinson was a central part of the Motown Records music machine in his hometown as an artist, producer and songwriter for other artists.

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.

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.

All four women are identifed as Jane Does after withholding their legal names for privacy concerns in court documents.

The lawsuit also names Robinson’s wife Frances Robinson as a defendant, alleging that she enabled his behavior despite knowing about past sexual misconduct.

Dig deeper:

It also blames her for the hostile work environment, saying she berated them with language that included ethnic slurs.

• One woman said she worked for the Robinsons 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.

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

Robinson, a member of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, was among the biggest hitmakers of the 1960s — both with his group the Miracles and as a solo artist, with songs including "Tears of a Clown" and "The Tracks of My Tears."