Motown legend William “Smokey” Robinson is facing serious allegations of sexual assault and misconduct from four women, identified only as Jane Does 1, 2, 3, and 4, who worked as housekeepers for the Robinsons. A complaint filed in Los Angeles superior court on 6 May accuses Robinson of sexual battery, false imprisonment, negligence, and gender violence, with the plaintiffs seeking a total of $50 million in damages. The lawsuit also names Robinson’s wife, Frances Robinson, and lists labor violations including failure to pay minimum wage, failure to pay overtime, inaccurate wage statements, and a hostile work environment.
Robinson, who founded the Motown group The Miracles in 1955 and has an impressive music career, including more than 4,000 songwriting credits and spots in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Halls of Fame, is accused of using his larger-than-life status to intimidate his accusers, who are low-wage Hispanic women in vulnerable positions without resources or options to protect themselves. According to the complaint filed by Los Angeles-based law firm Harris & Hayden, Robinson’s accusers feared missing a payday and being unable to pay their rent or buy food for their families.
The allegations reveal a pattern not only in the accusers’ backgrounds but also in their accounts. Jane Does 1, 3, and 4 all claim that Robinson sexually assaulted them in the “blue bedroom” of his Chatsworth residence, using a towel to protect the bed sheets beforehand. Jane Doe 4 also_cache_file_:>>
alleges rape at Robinson’s Las Vegas and Bell Canyon homes, while Jane Doe 2 says Robinson raped her in the laundry room and garage of his Chatsworth residence, where closed-circuit cameras were unable to see. Attorneys Harris and Hayden believe Robinson is a serial rapist who must be stopped.
All four women also accuse Frances Robinson of creating a hostile work environment and consistently using ethnically pejorative language. The complaint states that she was aware of her husband’s prior acts of sexual misconduct and failed to prevent his assaults. Attorney Herbert Hayden believes that Frances Robinson used their status and clients’ reliance on their living wage to control and exploit the vulnerable women. No police reports or criminal charges have been filed against Robinson.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/06/smokey-robinson-accused-sexual-assault
