The civil suit alleges rape, sexual battery, and wage violations by robinson and his wife, frances.

Motown legend Smokey Robinson is facing serious allegations of sexual assault, battery, and workplace abuse after four women filed a $50 million lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court. The women, identified only as Jane Does 1 through 4, previously worked as housekeepers for Robinson and his wife, Frances, and claim they suffered repeated physical and verbal abuse while employed in the couple’s homes.

The civil complaint, filed on 6 May 2025 by Los Angeles firm Harris & Hayden, accuses the 84-year-old singer-songwriter of sexual battery, rape, false imprisonment, negligence, and gender-based violence. It also names Frances Robinson as a co-defendant, accusing her of creating a hostile work environment and enabling her husband’s alleged conduct.

“They’re Hispanic women who were employed by the Robinsons earning below minimum wage,” said attorney John Harris during a press conference. “As low-wage women in vulnerable positions, they lacked the resources and options necessary to protect themselves from sexual assaults.”

According to Harris and his colleague Herbert Hayden, the women feared losing their jobs and income, which they relied on to support their families. “They all feared missing a payday and not being able to pay their rent or buy food for their families,” Harris stated.

The complaint details a disturbing pattern. Jane Does 1, 3, and 4 allege they were sexually assaulted in what Robinson called the “blue bedroom” of his Chatsworth home, describing how he would lay down a towel before the assaults to protect the bed sheets. Jane Doe 4 also alleges that Robinson raped her in his homes in Las Vegas and Bell Canyon. Jane Doe 2 claims she was raped in the laundry room and garage of the Chatsworth residence, specifically in areas outside the view of security cameras.

“We believe Mr Robinson is a sick and serial rapist that must be stopped,” Harris said. He suggested that the abuse was ongoing and systematic, made worse by the power imbalance between the Robinsons and their employees.

Frances Robinson is also accused of racial and verbal abuse. The plaintiffs claim she frequently used “ethnically pejorative words and language” and failed to intervene in her husband’s actions. The suit alleges she had full knowledge of previous incidents, including prior settlements involving similar allegations.

“We believe she was aware of the misconduct by her husband, Smokey Robinson, and that she used their status as well as the client’s reliance on their living wage in order to keep them in check,” said Hayden.

In addition to the sexual misconduct allegations, the lawsuit outlines several labour violations, including failure to pay minimum wage and overtime, inaccurate wage statements, and a generally hostile work environment.

Smokey Robinson, known for his decades-spanning career in music with The Miracles and his prolific songwriting for artists like The Temptations and Marvin Gaye, has not publicly responded to the allegations. No criminal charges or police reports have been filed as of now, according to Harris and Hayden.

Robinson, whose music career began in the 1950s and who has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, has long enjoyed a reputation as one of Motown’s most enduring figures. The severity of the allegations, however, now threatens to overshadow his musical legacy.

The case is expected to draw intense media attention as it progresses through the California civil court system. Legal experts say it could hinge on corroborating evidence, patterns of behaviour, and any prior settlements mentioned in the complaint.