Motown legend Smokey Robinson accused of sexual assault by former housekeepers

by Mick the Ram

Smokey Robinson, the legend of Motown, is at the centre of a lawsuit filed against him by four anonymous former housekeepers of his, allegedly for carrying out multiple sexual assaults on them while they were in his employment.

The claimants maintain that the 85-year-old carried out the attacks at his Los Angeles home between 2007 and 2024 and it is in that city’s superior court where the civil case has been lodged.

According to the women, who are seeking at least $50m (£37m) in damages, the singer would wait until he was alone with them in the house and was guilty of sexual battery, false imprisonment, negligence and gender violence, in addition to a number of labour violations related to hours and wages, breaks, meal times and overtime pay.

They each say they have been fearfulness of coming forward over concerns towards retaliation, public shame and possible effects on their immigration status.

The women also point the finger at Mr Robinson’s wife, Frances Robinson, who they say “enabled his behaviour” and was responsible for creating a hostile working environment and regularly verbally abused them, using “ethnically pejorative words and language”.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office clarified that their office had not yet received anything from law enforcement.

The superstar performer who has spots in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Halls of Fame, and claims to have credits on more than 4,000 songs, is currently on tour and scheduled to next perform on Friday 9 May in Mississippi.

Using pseudonyms

The four women have withheld their names for privacy reasons, so are suing under the pseudonyms Jane Doe 1 to 4. 

In the lawsuit they all claim that Robinson would summon them to various areas of his properties in Chatsworth, Bell Canyon and Las Vegas, at times when his wife was away. 

They say he would often emerge naked from a shower and force them to have various types of sex over a number of years.

Repeated offences at singer’s Chatsworth residence

Jane Doe’s 1, 3 and 4 all allege Robinson sexually assaulted them in the “blue bedroom” of his Chatsworth residence, claiming he would lay down a towel to protect the bed sheets prior to the assaults.

Jane Doe 2 worked for the couple from May 2014 to February 2020 and reported being sexually assaulted by the singer at least 23 times during that period, including being raped in the laundry room at Chatsworth.

Familiar pattern over many years

Jane Doe 1 worked for the Robinson’s from January 2023 to February 2024 and was assaulted at least seven times by the famous singer while working weekend shifts, the complaint reveals.

It explained how Mr. Robinson would drop off his wife at the nail salon and then rush home to assault her while she was alone.

Jane Doe 3 was employed by the pair from February 2012 to April 2024 and she claimed to be sexually assaulted by the superstar at least 20 times.

Finally, Jane Doe 4 reported how she worked for the Robinson’s from October 2006 until April 2024, and said she was sexually assaulted at his homes in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Bell Canyon, which is an unincorporated community in Ventura County near LA.

Forced labour

All four women say they worked 10 hours a day, for six days a week, without being paid minimum wage, or overtime. They also claim to have worked holidays without receiving a holiday rate.

Three of the accusers appeared in person at a news conference in the city behind their lawyers and an interpreter, all wearing sunglasses and masks, while a fourth appeared remotely by video call, but none of them spoke.

Lawyer spells it out

John Harris, a lawyer for the women, said at the news conference: “Our four clients have a common thread. They’re Hispanic women who were employed as housekeepers by the Robinson’s, earning below minimum wage. 

“As low-wage workers in vulnerable positions, they lacked the resources and options necessary to protect themselves from sexual assaults throughout their tenure as employees for the Robinson’s.” 

He emphasized the “vulnerability” of Robinson’s accusers compared with the singer, who has worked with icons such as: “The Temptations” and Marvin Gaye, in a career spanning decades, before adding: “We believe Mr Robinson is a sick and serial rapist that must be stopped.”

Mr Harris went on to say that they would welcome a criminal investigation, but the women had not filed police reports yet, as they had been held back by the same fears that kept them from coming forward in the first place. 

Hugely popular and successful

Smokey Robinson was a central part of the Motown Records music machine in his home-town of Detroit, as an artist, producer and as a songwriter for other artists. It was he who wrote number one hits like: My Guy for Mary Wells and My Girl for “The Temptations”. 

With his own band “The Miracles” he enjoyed huge success with a string of massive songs, including: The Tears Of A Clown and The Tracks Of My Tears.