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Smokey Robinson accused by former housekeepers of sexual assault and rape

Four former housekeepers of Smokey Robinson allege in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that the Motown music luminary repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped them while they worked for him.

The suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court seeks at least $50 million in damages over the alleged assaults, which the women say took place between 2007 and 2024, and labor violations including a hostile work environment, illegally long hours and lack of pay. Plaintiffs' attorney Herbert Hayden said that while they felt the assaults are worthy of criminal investigation, the women have not filed police reports, based on the same fears that kept them from coming forward. They declined to give details at the news conference about how they came forward and learned there were others.The suit seeks damages based on sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence and other allegations.

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