Motown legend Smokey Robinson faces a $50 million lawsuit alleging he systematically sexually assaulted four Hispanic housekeepers, performing a disturbing “ritual” before attacks that spanned nearly two decades in his California home.
Key Takeaways
- Four former housekeepers have filed a lawsuit against Smokey Robinson, accusing him of sexual assault and rape between 2007 and 2024, seeking at least $50 million in damages.
- The women claim the assaults occurred at Robinson’s Chatsworth, California home, with one plaintiff alleging 23 separate incidents between 2014 and 2020.
- The lawsuit alleges Robinson’s wife Frances, enabled his behavior and created a hostile work environment.
- The plaintiffs, identified only as Jane Does, were Hispanic women earning below minimum wage who feared reporting the incidents due to potential retaliation and their immigration status.
- The lawsuit describes a ritualistic pattern where Robinson would allegedly emerge naked from his bathroom and place a towel on the bed before assaults.
Disturbing Pattern of Alleged Predatory Behavior
The 84-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Smokey Robinson stands accused of systematically assaulting four Hispanic housekeepers at his Los Angeles area home over nearly two decades. According to court documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, the women allege Robinson committed multiple acts of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, and gender violence between 2007 and 2024. The lawsuit describes a calculated pattern of behavior where Robinson would allegedly perform a specific “ritual” before attacks, including emerging naked from his bathroom and strategically placing a towel on his bed before the assaults would occur.
The women, who have withheld their legal names for privacy concerns and are identified only as Jane Does in court filings, claim they were particularly vulnerable as low-wage earners, often making below minimum wage. One plaintiff alleges she endured 23 separate incidents between 2014 and 2020. The lawsuit further claims that Robinson’s wife, Frances, not only knew about her husband’s behavior but also enabled it by creating a hostile work environment that made it nearly impossible for these women to speak out or seek protection from the alleged abuse.
Fear Prevented Earlier Reporting
According to the lawsuit, the four women never filed police reports due to overwhelming fears of retaliation, public shame, and concerns about their immigration status. This silence allowed the alleged abuses to continue for years while the women suffered in private. The lawsuit highlights how these vulnerable workers, coming from disadvantaged backgrounds with limited employment options, felt trapped in an impossible situation. Their economic insecurity and fear of deportation created the perfect environment for ongoing exploitation, while Robinson’s celebrity status provided him with an effective shield from accountability.
“Having to tell their husband and children of these despicable actions left them filled with shame and embarrassment,” said John Harris, attorney for the plaintiffs
The plaintiffs allege they were specifically targeted because of their vulnerable status. Court documents describe them as “Hispanic women employed as housekeepers earning below minimum wage” who were systematically isolated and victimized when alone with Robinson at his residence. This exploitation of power imbalance forms a central component of the case, with attorneys arguing that Robinson deliberately preyed upon women who had limited ability to resist or report his behavior due to their precarious economic and immigration circumstances.
Seeking Justice and Accountability
The lawsuit seeks at least $50 million in damages, a figure the plaintiffs’ attorney John Harris insists is warranted given the severity and duration of the alleged abuses. The legal action includes multiple serious charges, including sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, and gender violence. Although no criminal charges have been filed as of yet, the civil case threatens to permanently tarnish the legacy of the 84-year-old Motown pioneer, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 and has long been considered one of American music’s most respected figures.
“We believe that Mr. Robinson is a serial and sick rapist, and must be stopped,” said John Harris, attorney for the plaintiffs.
This case highlights a continuing pattern in the entertainment industry where powerful celebrities are increasingly being held accountable for alleged misconduct that was previously hidden from public view. The timing of this lawsuit comes as many other high-profile figures across entertainment, politics, and business face similar reckonings. While Robinson has yet to issue a public statement about these allegations, the $50 million lawsuit ensures that this case will receive significant public attention as it winds through the legal system in the coming months.
