A personal assistant and three former housekeepers for Smokey Robinson have accused the Motown legend of sexually assaulting them dozens of times during their tenure as staff. The anonymous women filed a single lawsuit, in Los Angeles County, alleging that they were raped at his various homes in California and Las Vegas, according to the complaint. They are seeking $50 million in damages.
Though the women’s identities have not been revealed, John W. Harris, a lawyer for the women, said at a news conference yesterday (May 6) that they are all Hispanic women earning below minimum wage. “As low-wage workers in vulnerable positions, they lacked the resources and options necessary to protect themselves from sexual assaults,” the attorney said, according to The New York Times.
Three of the women feared that reporting Robinson’s behavior would threaten their immigration status, according to the lawsuit. Robinson’s wife, Frances Robinson, allegedly knew about the assaults, but continued to berate, mistreat, and direct “racially-charged” language at the women. The Robinsons are also accused of false imprisonment and numerous labor violations.
The women all worked for Robinson, now 85 years old, for varying spans between 2006 and 2024, according to the lawsuit. One said the singer sexually assaulted her at least 23 times between May 2014 and February 2020.
A spokesperson for Los Angeles County’s district attorney’s office told The Times that no criminal charges have been filed. A representative for Robinson did not immediately respond to Pitchfork’s request for comment.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support:
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
https://rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741
