Smokey Robinson accused by former housekeepers of sexual assault and rape
Four women said that Smokey Robinson would wait until he was alone with them in his Los Angeles house then sexually assault and rape them over their objections.
Scripps News
Smokey Robinson’s attorney is speaking out to deny “vile” allegations of sexual abuse against the singer.
In a statement provided to USA TODAY on May 7, Robinson’s attorney Christopher Frost said he will ask the Los Angeles County Superior Court to dismiss a complaint from four women accusing the singer, 85, of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence and creating a hostile work environment.
The requested damages in the complaint include payments of at least $50 million or more.
“As this case progresses, the evidence (the crucial element that guides us) will show that this is simply an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon — $50 million dollars, to be exact,” Frost said.
Robinson’s attorney went on to slam the “vile, false allegations against Mr. and Mrs. Robinson,” alleging the accusers are trying to create a “media circus.” Without providing specifics, Frost also alleged that numerous aspects of the complaint “defy credulity” and that there are “issues relating to purported timelines, inconsistencies, and relationships between the plaintiffs and others.”
“We ask anyone following this case to reserve judgment as the evidence comes to light and all the actual facts of the case unfold,” Frost said, noting that “in time,” Robinson will “respond in his own words.”
In their own statement provided to USA TODAY, attorneys for the plaintiffs said, “We stand behind our four clients’ truthful claims, which are neither false nor vile, but clearly describe Mr. Robinson’s despicable criminal acts.”
On May 7, The Daily Mail reported that the Grammy winner said “I am appalled” when reached about the allegations over the phone, before ending the call and saying he “can’t speak about this right now.”
In the complaint filed on May 6, four women who say they previously worked as housekeepers for Robinson accused the singer of “repeated sexual assaults and sexual harassment.” The complaint described his conduct as “willful, wanton, and malicious, with a conscious disregard for (their) rights, privacy, and feelings.” One of the women, who said she worked for Robinson from 2014 to 2020, alleged the singer assaulted her at least 23 different times. Another woman said he raped her at least 20 times.
The women also accused Robinson’s wife, Frances, of having “full knowledge of his prior acts of sexual misconduct” but failing to take action. The complaint also accused Frances of frequent verbal abuse.
Contributing: Edward Segarra
Leave a Reply