Legendary Motown singer Smokey Robinson faces multiple charges, including rape, sexual assault and creating a hostile work environment, in a lawsuit filed by lawyers representing four of his former housekeepers.
According to the BBC, the four women, all of whom are Hispanic and listed as Jane Does, accused the 85-year-old musician of false imprisonment, negligence and gender violence, in addition to several labor violations regarding wages, breaks, meal times and overtime pay.
Robinson’s wife, Frances Robinson, is also listed as a defendant in the suit, claiming she contributed to a hostile work environment and used “ethnically pejorative words and language” toward the women.
Court documents state that three women were Robinson’s former housekeepers, while the fourth served as his personal assistant, cook, and hairdresser. The “Ooo Baby Baby” singer allegedly invited all four to his California properties in Chatsworth and Bell Canyon and his Las Vegas home when his wife was away.
What happened to the Jane Does at Robinson’s residence?
ABC News reported that Jane Doe 1 worked as Robinson’s housekeeper from January 2023 to February 2024 at his Chatsworth residence in Los Angeles, according to the complaint. Robinson allegedly first sexually assaulted her in March 2023, and the abuse continued until her “forced resignation in February 2024.”
According to the complaint, Jane Doe 2 worked as a housekeeper at Robinson’s Chatsworth home from around May 2014 to February 2020 and is accusing Robinson of “repeated sexual assaults and harassment.” She also accuses Frances of “failing to take the appropriate corrective action to prevent” her husband’s “deviant misconduct,“ screaming at her and creating a hostile work environment using racially offensive language.
Jane Doe 3, who worked as a housekeeper for Robinson from February 2012 to April 2024, accuses him of sexual harassment, assault and rape, according to the suit. She also accuses Frances of creating a “hostile work environment.”
Jane Doe 4 worked as a housekeeper at Robinson’s Chatsworth residence and a personal assistant to Frances from October 2006 to April 2024, the complaint states. She alleges Robinson first sexually assaulted her in 2007 at his Las Vegas home and that the unwanted advances continued until her resignation.
The women never reported the alleged abuse to the police
According to the suit, the four women were “unwilling“ to report Robinson’s alleged actions to authorities because they feared losing their livelihoods and facing public embarrassment.
They were also “threatened and intimidated“ by his celebrity status and the influential people around him. Additionally, three of the women were concerned about the potential adverse effects on their immigration status, CNN reported.
The women are seeking $50 million in damages.
“Obviously no amount of money can compensate these women for what Mr. Robinson subjected them to. But given the gravity of Mr. Robinson’s despicable and reprehensible misconduct … this amount is clearly warranted,“ attorney John Harris told reporters at a Tuesday press conference, according to Reuters.
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