Smokey Robinson accused by former housekeepers of sexual assault
Legendary Motown musician Smokey Robinson faces allegations of sexual assault-
-from housekeepers who sued him on Tuesday for $50 million.
His wife, Frances is also accused of covering up the abuse and verbally abusing employees with racial slurs.
Robinson's representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and Reuters could not verify the claims.
The plaintiffs are four Hispanic women using Jane Doe pseudonyms in the lawsuit.
They accused 85-year-old Robinson of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, and gender violence at his Los Angeles home from 2007 to 2024.
Three of them appeared wearing face masks at a Los Angeles press conference, while the fourth joined remotely.
John Harris is an attorney at Harris & Hayden law firm.
"These courageous four women have collectively decided to come forward and share their experiences of being assaulted by Mr. Smokey Robinson, and stand up for their rights, as well as the rights of other women."
Harris explained the delay in reporting, emphasizing the women's financial and emotional struggles.
"The obvious question that one will ask, and I suspect most will, why didn't they report Robinson's criminal misconduct to law enforcement or go public before now? As I said before, these women were all low, low wage earners living from paycheck to paycheck. They all feared missing a payday and not being able to pay their rent or buy food for their families. Also, Smokey's Robinson celebrity status intimidated them in or made them feel powerless."
Jane Doe 1 accused Robinson of sexually assaulting her at least seven times, with the last incident on February 17, 2024, two days before his 84th birthday.
The other plaintiffs made similar claims, with Jane Does 2 and 3 alleging at least 20 assaults each.
Their lawyers said they welcome a criminal investigation but haven't heard from prosecutors.
Representatives of Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
:: File
Robinson rose to fame in the 1960s as the singer of 'Tears of a Clown' and a key figure in Motown's rise.
He recorded over 30 hits solo and with The Miracles, a group of his Detroit schoolmates.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
ESPN will ‘no longer proceed' with Spike Lee's Colin Kaepernick docuseries: ‘It's not coming out'
Director Spike Lee's multi-part documentary series for ESPN Films about former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sparked a national debate when he protested racial injustice nearly a decade ago, will not be released, the filmmaker and ESPN said. 'ESPN, Colin Kaepernick and Spike Lee have collectively decided to no longer proceed with this project as a result of certain creative differences,' ESPN said in a statement to Reuters on Saturday. 'Despite not reaching finality, we appreciate all the hard work and collaboration that went into this film.' Advertisement 3 Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree Spike Lee attends Harold and Carole Pump Foundation 25th Anniversary Celebrity Dinner at The Beverly Hilton on August 15, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. Getty Images Lee told Reuters on Friday that the series was not going to be released. 'It's not coming out. That's all I can say,' Lee said on the red carpet ahead of the Harold and Carole Pump Foundation dinner, a fundraiser for cancer research and treatment, in Beverly Hills, California. Advertisement Asked why, the Oscar-winning director declined to elaborate, citing a nondisclosure agreement. 'I can't. I signed a nondisclosure. I can't talk about it.' 3 A television camera has a sleeve with the ESPN logo over its lens before the SEC Softball Championship Semifinals game between Oklahoma Sooners and Arkansas Razorbacks on May 9, 2025, at Jack Turner Stadium in Athens, Georgia. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Kaepernick played for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2016. He ignited a national debate in 2016 when he knelt during the U.S. national anthem to protest systemic racism and police brutality. Advertisement The 37-year-old athlete has not played in the NFL since that season. Many experts believed his political activism, which triggered a movement that drew the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump, was the key reason teams were wary of signing him. He later filed a collusion grievance against team owners, which was settled with the league in 2019. 3 Colin Kaepernick puts his hand over his heart in response to a comment at a special training event created by Kaepernick to provide greater access to scouts, the media, and the public at Charles. R. Drew High School in Riverdale, Georgia, U.S., November 16, 2019. REUTERS A representative for Kaepernick said the player had no comment about the docuseries on Saturday. Advertisement Production on the series began in 2022, with Walt Disney-owned ESPN touting it as a 'full, first-person account' of Kaepernick's journey that would feature extensive interviews with the player. In September, Puck News reported the project faced delays amid disagreements between Kaepernick and Lee over the direction of the film, and that ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro was open to allowing the filmmakers to shop it elsewhere.
CNBC
11 hours ago
- CNBC
ESPN will not air Spike Lee's docuseries on Colin Kaepernick, citing 'creative differences'
Director Spike Lee's multi-part documentary series for ESPN Films about former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who sparked a national debate when he protested racial injustice nearly a decade ago, will not be released, the filmmaker and ESPN said. "ESPN, Colin Kaepernick and Spike Lee have collectively decided to no longer proceed with this project as a result of certain creative differences," ESPN said in a statement to Reuters on Saturday. "Despite not reaching finality, we appreciate all the hard work and collaboration that went into this film." Lee told Reuters on Friday that the series was not going to be released. "It's not coming out. That's all I can say," Lee said on the red carpet ahead of the Harold and Carole Pump Foundation dinner, a fundraiser for cancer research and treatment, in Beverly Hills, California. Asked why, the Oscar-winning director declined to elaborate, citing a nondisclosure agreement. "I can't. I signed a nondisclosure. I can't talk about it." Kaepernick played for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2016. He ignited a national debate in 2016 when he knelt during the U.S. national anthem to protest systemic racism and police brutality. The 37-year-old athlete has not played in the NFL since that season. Many experts believed his political activism, which triggered a movement that drew the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump, was the key reason teams were wary of signing him. He later filed a collusion grievance against team owners, which was settled with the league in 2019. A representative for Kaepernick said the player had no comment about the docuseries on Saturday. Production on the series began in 2022, with Walt Disney-owned ESPN touting it as a "full, first-person account" of Kaepernick's journey that would feature extensive interviews with the player. In September, Puck News reported the project faced delays amid disagreements between Kaepernick and Lee over the direction of the film, and that ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro was open to allowing the filmmakers to shop it elsewhere.
NBC Sports
19 hours ago
- NBC Sports
North Carolina coach Bill Belichick won't appear on weekly coach's radio show
The vast majority of college football coaches carve out a little time during each week of the season for a radio show. Bill Belichick is not among the vast majority of college football coaches. Via Reuters, North Carolina explained in a release on Friday that the program, previously known as Mack Brown Live, will be named Carolina Football Live going forward. Also, Belichick will appear on the first episode only, before the first game of the season. The development comes a year after Belichick was overexposed in the media, from radio appearances to podcast appearances to TV appearances. He seemingly didn't say no to any payday that was offered to him. Now, he'll revert to saying as little as possible. Appearing instead, to little surprise, will be Michael Lombardi, Belichick's consigliere. Lombardi will be the one either to loudly boast in the aftermath of a win, or to aggressively make plausible excuses if/when the Tar Heels end up in quicksand. Belichick's contract doesn't require weekly involvement in the show. Instead, he must make appearances 'as reasonably requested by the University.' It's arguably reasonable for North Carolina to expect Belichick to do what nearly every other major college football coach does. Given, however, that Belichick can now write a check for $1 million and walk away whenever he wants, the folks at UNC know they'd be wise to let their heels stick to the tar when it comes to pushing Belichick, on anything.
