Four women have filed a lawsuit against Motown legend Smokey Robinson and his wife alleging sexual battery and assault.
The complaint, which is seeking $50 million in damages, was filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court naming Robinson, whose legal name is William Robinson Jr. and his wife, Frances Robinson, as defendants.
Tiffany Rose
The damages listed in the lawsuit include sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence and several workplace violations.
A statement issued by the Robinsons’ attorney late Wednesday described the lawsuit as a $50 million extortion attempt.
The women, referred to as Jane Does, are described in the suit as having been housekeepers for the Robinsons at their Chatsworth residence.
“We believe that Mr. Robinson is a serial and sick rapist, and must be stopped,” said John Harris, the women’s attorney, during a meeting with the press on Tuesday. “I will not describe the details of the sexual assaults and rapes because they are too graphic and disturbing for this news conference.”
All the women claim they were repeatedly sexually assaulted by Robinson, with one of the claims dating back to 2007. According to the lawsuit, all the women allege they were forced to resign due to the assault and harassment.
“Our four clients have a common thread: they’re Hispanic women,” Harris said.
The suit accuses Robsinon’s wife of failing to take action to prevent the alleged acts. It also claims she had prior knowledge that her husband had previously settled other cases with women who experienced similar situations.
The women claim that during the alleged assaults, Robinson used physical barriers and threats of force to prevent them from fleeing. One of the women says Robinson would text her at various times throughout her workday, asking to meet in different parts of his Los Angeles mansion where there were no cameras.
“We do have evidence of some of the misconduct,” Harris said.
One of the workplace violations in the suit is from a woman who claims that while she worked for the Robinsons, she was only paid $10 per hour. They all claim they were not given proper rest periods and were not properly compensated for working overtime hours.
None of the women brought their allegations to law enforcement for fear of loss of livelihood, familial reprisal and the possible adverse effect on their immigration status, Harris said.
“Having to tell their husband and children of these despicable actions left them filled with shame and embarrassment,” Harris said. “So throughout their dreadful experiences with Mr. Robinson, all four women remained silent.”
The court documents allege Robinson’s wife created a hostile work environment, which included derogatory comments and emotional distress.
The attorney for the Robinsons, Christopher Frost, said in the Wednesday statement that, “The evidence … will show that this is simply an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon — $50 million to be exact.”
Frost depicted the allegations outlined by the plaintiffs’ lawyers in Tuesday’s news conference as “vile” and “false.”
“We ask anyone following this case to reserve judgment as the evidence comes to light and all the actual facts of the case unfold,” Frost continued, adding that, “We will be asking the Court to dismiss the lawsuit. We will also be asking the Court to address that in their statements to the press about Mr. Robinson, the plaintiff’s attorneys have reached beyond the bounds of liberties that even lawyers are typically allowed in this context.”
Frost said that “in time, Mr. Robinson will respond in his own words.”
