Motown legend William "Smokey" Robinson has been faced with grave accusations of sexual assault and misconduct from four anonymous housekeepers, identified solely as Jane Does 1, 2, 3, and 4, during their employment at the Robinson residence. On May 6th, a complaint was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, detailing charges encompassing sexual battery, false imprisonment, negligence, and gender violence, with a collective demand for $50 million in damages for the victims.
Moreover, the lawsuit also implicates Robinson's wife, Frances Robinson, and enumerates a series of alleged labor violations, such as underpayment of minimum wage, non-payment of overtime, incorrect wage statements, and fostering a hostile work environment.
Smokey Robinson's illustrious career spans decades in the music industry, with his foundational role in the Miracles in 1955 marking the beginning. Credited with over 4,000 songs and production credits that include legends like the Temptations and Marvin Gaye, Robinson holds a prestigious spot in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
According to the complaint, filed by Los Angeles-based firm Harris & Hayden, Robinson's towering status in the music world was a deterring factor for the accusers in coming forward. Speaking at a Los Angeles news conference, Attorney John Harris juxtaposed Robinson's high-profile status against the humble backgrounds of his accusers. "These are Hispanic women who worked for the Robinsons, earning salaries below the minimum wage," Harris emphasized. "As low-wage earners in vulnerable positions, they lacked the resources and power to shield themselves from sexual predators."
Harris underscored the vulnerability of Robinson's accusers, stating, "They lived in constant fear of losing a paycheck, which meant not being able to meet their basic needs like rent and groceries for their families."
The complaint highlights not only the shared backgrounds of the accusers but also a consistent pattern in their allegations. Jane Does 1, 3, and 4 all claim they were sexually assaulted by Robinson in the "blue bedroom" of his Chatsworth home, where he would lay down a towel on the bedsheets before the assaults. Jane Doe 4 further alleges rape at Robinson's Las Vegas and Bell Canyon residences. Jane Doe 2, on the other hand, asserts that Robinson raped her in the laundry room and garage of his Chatsworth home, areas where closed-circuit cameras couldn't capture the incidents.
"We firmly believe that Mr. Robinson is a predatory and serial rapist who must be stopped," Harris declared.
In addition, all four women allege a hostile work environment orchestrated by Frances Robinson, who consistently used derogatory and ethnically offensive language. The complaint further states that Frances Robinson failed to intervene in her husband's sexual assaults, despite being fully aware of his past sexual misconduct and having settled cases with other victims who suffered similar assaults.
"We believe she was cognizant of her husband's misconduct and leveraged their status, as well as the financial dependency of their employees, to keep them in line," attorney Herbert Hayden said.
Hayden and Harris revealed that no police reports or criminal charges have been filed against Robinson as of yet.
