Earlier this week, four unnamed women, all of whom worked at housekeepers for the 85-year-old pop legend Smokey Robinson, sued Robinson for a list of offenses including rape, sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence, and a hostile work environment, among other things. The lawsuit, which also names Robinson's wife Frances, claims that Robinson committed dozens of ritualistic assaults between 2007 and 2024. Robinson has now responded to the lawsuit, as has his lawyer.
When The Daily Mail reached Smokey Robinson by phone, he simply said, "I am appalled," and then ended the call by saying, "I can't speak about this right now." According to The Daily Mail, Robinson "did not sound well." Robinson's lawyers have issued a more extensive statement, denying the allegations and accusing the former housekeepers of trying to extort Robinson.
According to The New York Times, Smokey Robinson's lawyer Christopher Frost describes the lawsuit's charges as "vile," "false," and "an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon." Frost says, "We ask anyone following this case to reserve judgment as the evidence comes to light and all the actual facts of the case unfold."
UPDATE (May 15): Smokey Robinson is now the subject of a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigation after the plaintiffs filed police reports alleging sexual assault. "It is clear to us what is happening here," Robinson's attorney Christopher Frost says in a statemnt. "Plaintiffs filed a police report only after they filed a $50 million lawsuit. This means only that the police are now required to investigate. We welcome that investigation, which involves Plaintiffs who continue to hide their identities, because exposure to the truth is a powerful thing."
If you or someone you know is undergoing sexual abuse, please visit rainn.org or contact the National Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-800-656-4673.
