Smokey Robinson Sexual Assault Allegations Under Criminal Investigation; Singer’s Attorney Calls Lawsuit ‘Manufactured’

A criminal investigation has been launched into the sexual assault allegations against legendary singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson, his attorneys and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirm to Variety.

The singer was sued last week by former female employees alleging sexual battery, assault and false imprisonment. The women are asking for a trial with general damages for several allegations of no less than $50 million. Four Jane Does, who worked for the singer between 2006 and 2024, filed a suit against Robinson and his wife Frances in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, all making similar claims that Robinson sexually assaulted them during their employment as housekeepers at his Chatsworth, CA, residence.

A statement from the sheriff’s office issued Thursday reads: “The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Bureau is actively investigating criminal allegations involving William Robinson AKA ‘Smokey Robinson.’ The investigation is in the early stages, and we have no further comment.”

The singer’s attorney said in a statement: “We are aware that a police report has now been filed by the Plaintiffs in the civil lawsuit. It is clear to us what is happening here. Plaintiffs filed a police report only after they filed a $50 million lawsuit. This means only that the police are now required to investigate. We welcome that investigation, which involves Plaintiffs who continue to hide their identities, because exposure to the truth is a powerful thing. We feel confident that a determination will be made that Mr. Robinson did nothing wrong, and that this is a desperate attempt to prejudice public opinion and make even more of a media circus than the Plaintiffs were previously able to create. The record will ultimately demonstrate that this is nothing more than a manufactured lawsuit intended to tarnish the good names of Smokey and Frances Robinson, for no other reason than unadulterated avarice.”

The women also said that Robinson’s wife created a hostile work environment by using “ethnically pejorative words and language” while screaming at the singer, and that she did not take proper action to prevent misconduct despite knowledge that he’d settled cases from previous women alleging similar assaults.

All Does state that they did not take action against Robinson for fear of losing their livelihood, familial reprisal or embarrassment. Some of them were fearful it could affect their immigration status.