Smokey Robinson denies rape and sexual assault allegations filed in lawsuit

Smokey Robinson has denied rape and sexual assault allegations from a lawsuit filed on Tuesday.

The suit was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court by four of his former housekeepers. They accuse the singer of sexual assault between 2007 and 2024, seeking at least $50 million in damages.

According to Robinson’s lawyer, Christopher Frost, evidence "will show that this is simply an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon.”

His former housekeepers also named Robinson’s wife, Frances Robinson, as a defendant for allegedly being complicit and enabling her husband's behaviour. They each claim that Robinson waited until he was alone with the women before sexually assaulting them, sometimes over many years.

"We will be addressing the numerous aspects of the complaint that defy credulity as well as issues relating to purported timelines, inconsistencies, and relationships between the plaintiffs and others," Frost said.

In a news conference on Tuesday, the women’s lawyer, John Harris, called Robinson a "serial rapist" and that "he must be stopped.”

Robinson earned acclaim for playing with his group The Miracles in the 1960's, before focusing on his solo career. He’s since joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.