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Motown legend Smokey Robinson has been sued by four former employees on the grounds of s*xual assault and failure to pay them proper wages. The civil complaint was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, by the R&B legend's former housekeepers, who have chosen to keep their identities private.
Among the allegations against Smokey Robinson outlined in the complaint are s*xual assault and s*xual battery, emotional distress, gender violence, and false imprisonment. The four women detailed the alleged s*xual abuse they experienced multiple times at the hands of Smokey Robinson in his home in Chatsworth. One alleged r*pe dates back to 2007.
Smokey Robinson, who has an estimated net worth of $150 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, is also facing allegations of not paying his employees proper wages. They claim that he shortened their wages, refused to give them breaks, meal periods, and holidays, and docked their overtime pay. They are now asking for no less than $50 million in damages.
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All four women, who sued the singer under the pseudonyms Jane Doe 1 through 4, also named the singer's wife, Frances Robinson, in the suit. They accused her of being complicit because she was aware of her husband's actions but failed to intervene and rein him in.
More about the allegations of s*xual assault and docked pay against Smokey Robinson
In the new $50 million lawsuit against Smokey Robinson, his four former housekeepers detailed their allegations. They claimed similar s*xual assault experiences at the hands of the singer in several of his homes, including a house in Las Vegas and another in Ventura County's Bell Canyon, but predominantly at his Chatsworth residence in Southern California.
Among their allegations was that Robinson would summon them to specific areas in the house where closed-circuit cameras couldn't see, including one they referred to as the "blue bedroom," and when his wife wasn't around, to assault them.
Attorney John Harris of Harris & Hayden, who filed the case on behalf of the women, said in the press conference on May 6:
"They're Hispanic women who were employed by the Robinsons, earning below minimum wage. As low-wage women in vulnerable positions, they lacked the resources and options necessary to protect themselves from s*xual assaults... We believe Mr. Robinson is a sick and serial r*pist that must be stopped."
According to the complaint cited by the LA Times, all four women claimed that they worked for the Robinson household for ten hours a day, six days a week. However, despite this, they were reportedly not paid minimum wage, and there was no overtime pay.
The housekeepers were reportedly paid between $10 and $18 per hour. Meanwhile, one of the plaintiffs who worked as a cook and Frances' personal assistant earned $15 per hour before it was raised to $20. Moreover, according to the complaint, they worked during the holidays but did not receive a holiday rate from their employers.
Smokey Robinson is best known as a singer and the founding member of the Motown group The Miracles. The R&B singer has several hits like The Tracks of My Tears, The Tears of a Clown, and Ooo Baby Baby.
