Nationwide — Legendary Motown singer and producer Smokey Robinson is going through severe allegations of sexual misconduct from 4 former staff, including his identify to a rising checklist of distinguished Black male celebrities not too long ago accused of sexual assault and harassment. Robinson, now 85, has been named in a civil lawsuit filed Tuesday, Might 6 in Los Angeles Superior Court docket, which accuses him of a number of offenses together with sexual battery, gender violence, false imprisonment, and sustaining a hostile work atmosphere.Smokey Robinson, born William Robinson Jr., rose to fame within the Sixties because the frontman of The Miracles and later grew to become a key determine at Motown Data, serving to form the sound of soul music for generations. Over the many years, he has earned acclaim not solely as a vocalist but in addition as a songwriter and govt. Nonetheless, his legacy is now beneath scrutiny as 4 ladies — all of whom labored for Robinson in home roles — declare he repeatedly sexually assaulted them over a span of almost 20 years.
In line with Folks, the lawsuit, which additionally names Robinson’s spouse, Frances Robinson, as a co-defendant, alleges that she was absolutely conscious of his alleged conduct and did not intervene. In line with the submitting, Frances is accused of enabling her husband’s actions by ignoring earlier cases of misconduct and permitting a sample of abuse to proceed inside their family.
The 4 ladies — recognized as Jane Doe 1 by means of 4 — describe a disturbing sample of abuse that features repeated sexual assaults, harassment, and, in no less than one case, alleged rape. Jane Doe 3 claims she was raped “no less than 20 occasions” whereas working as a housekeeper, whereas Jane Doe 4 says she endured related therapy from 2007 till her resignation in 2024. A number of ladies say they had been pressured to resign because of the hostile and abusive atmosphere.
The plaintiffs are looking for a minimum of $50 million in damages.
These accusations come at a time when different high-profile Black males in leisure — together with Sean “Diddy” Combs, Trey Songz, and Jonathan Majors — have additionally been the topic of authorized motion involving sexual misconduct or home violence. Whereas every case varies in scope and proof, critics argue that the frequency of those lawsuits raises deeper questions on energy dynamics, accountability within the leisure trade, and the therapy of ladies — significantly ladies of coloration — in personal workspaces.
To date, neither Smokey nor Frances Robinson has made a public assertion concerning the lawsuit.
