Smokey Robinson, the 85-year-old Motown singer, has filed a $500 million cross-complaint for defamation and elder abuse against four former housekeepers, who accused him of sexual harassment and rape in a $50 million lawsuit earlier this month.
Robinson’s countersuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges the women and their attorney, John W. Harris, conspired to make “slanderous statements” about him and his wife, Frances Robinson, at a press conference on May 6, with the intention of extorting money from the couple.
Robinson claims the four women and Harris fabricated the sexual assault allegations and used a press conference to make defamatory statements outside the protection of litigation privilege. The countersuit specifically references Harris calling Robinson a “serial and sick rapist” at the press event, arguing that while legal privilege may protect statements made in court filings, it does not extend to statements made to the media.
The complaint accuses the women of deleting text exchanges and photos from Frances Robinson’s phone, but includes purported texts showing friendly communications, such as birthday wishes and invitations to family events.
The Robinsons describe their treatment of the housekeepers as exceptionally generous, providing gifts including money for dental work, vacations, concert tickets, and even a car. The countersuit asserts that while the Robinsons were generous, the plaintiffs were allegedly plotting an “extortionate plan” to obtain more money and destroy their reputations.
Robinson’s team has moved to dismiss the women’s lawsuit and requested that the plaintiffs refile using their real names rather than pseudonyms, arguing the allegations are so detached from reality that they cannot identify who’s being accused of what.
The countersuit also includes claims of emotional distress and financial elder abuse, and alleges theft of a safe and bank records from the Robinson household, suggesting possible involvement by one or more plaintiffs.
The four women, identified as Jane Does, allege Robinson isolated them at his homes in California and Las Vegas, repeatedly forcing them into non-consensual sexual acts over many years, with the earliest alleged incident occurring in 2007.
Each woman claims to have been raped, and their lawsuit seeks $50 million in damages for sexual assault, sexual battery, false imprisonment and gender violence. The women say they were reluctant to report the alleged abuse due to fear of job loss, immigration consequences and intimidation by Robinson’s celebrity status.
California law permits plaintiffs in civil cases, especially those involving sexual assault, to proceed under pseudonyms (such as Jane Doe) if revealing their identities could result in specific harm, such as retaliation or further stigmatization. The court must balance the plaintiffs’ privacy interests against the defendant’s and the public’s right to know the parties’ identities.Smokey Robinson is seeking $500 million in damages for defamation and elder abuse, naming both the four women and their attorney as defendants.
The original sexual assault lawsuit against Robinson remains pending, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has initiated a criminal investigation into the allegations. Attorneys for the women haven’t commented publicly on the countersuit as of the latest filings.
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