Smokey Robinson's attorney: Lawsuit is an 'ugly method' to get money from 'an America icon'

Smokey Robinson’s lawyer plans to inquire the tribunal to disregard a suit filed this week against the singer by 4 erstwhile employees. The women are seeking astatine slightest $50 million, accusing Robinson of repeated intersexual misconduct and alleging helium and his wife, Frances, violated labour laws.

“We volition person much to accidental successful the coming days arsenic we marque our ineligible response, and successful clip Mr. Robinson volition respond successful his ain words,” lawyer Christopher Frost said successful a Wednesday connection to The Times. “As this lawsuit progresses, the grounds (the important constituent that guides us) volition amusement that this is simply an disfigured method of trying to extract wealth from an 85-year-old American icon — $50 cardinal dollars, to beryllium exact.”

Frost, a founding spouse of Frost LLP, called the allegations “vile” and “false” and said “numerous aspects of the ailment ... defy credulity.” The ineligible effect seeking dismissal volition code “issues relating to purported timelines, inconsistencies, and relationships betwixt the plaintiffs and others,” helium said.

“We inquire anyone pursuing this lawsuit to reserve judgement arsenic the grounds comes to airy and each the existent facts of the lawsuit unfold,” Frost said.

The civilian suit, filed Tuesday successful Los Angeles County Superior Court, accuses the Robinsons of negligence, intersexual artillery and intersexual assault, mendacious imprisonment, intentional and negligent infliction of affectional distress, sex violence, and hostile enactment environment, successful summation to a big of labour violations related to wages, breaks, repast periods, and vacation and overtime pay.

“I americium appalled,” Smokey Robinson told the Daily Mail successful a telephone telephone Wednesday earlier reportedly devolving into mumbles astir being contacted astatine home. “I can’t talk astir this close now,” helium added.

The women are suing nether the pseudonyms Jane Doe 1 done 4 due to the fact that of the intersexual misconduct allegations, including rape, that are leveled against the pb vocalist of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the suit says. Three are erstwhile housekeepers and 1 was the singer’s idiosyncratic assistant, navigator and hairdresser, per tribunal documents reviewed by The Times.

Jane Doe 1 worked for the Robinsons from January 2023 until February 2024. Jane Doe 2 worked from May 2014 to February 2020. Jane Doe 3 worked from February 2012 to April 2024. Jane Doe 4 worked from October 2006 to April 2024.

All 4 women allege successful the suit that helium “summoned” them to assorted places astatine his homes successful Chatsworth, Ventura County’s Bell Canyon and Las Vegas erstwhile his woman wasn’t around. Sometimes emerging bare from a shower, helium forced them to person assorted types of enactment with them — vaginal, oral and integer — implicit a fig of years, the suit says.

They impeach Frances Robinson, who joined Smokey successful 2002, of “regularly screaming ... successful a hostile manner, utilizing ethnically pejorative words and language” toward them. They accidental successful the documents that she knew what her hubby was doing and failed to rein him in.

One plaintiff said she didn’t privation to study the alleged activities due to the fact that she was acrophobic of losing her occupation and being publically shamed. She besides disquieted astir her migration presumption and threats and intimidation owed to Robinson’s personage presumption and “influential friends and associates,” the suit says. Those sentiments, with oregon without the migration issue, were echoed by the different plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs accidental successful the suit that they discontinue due to the fact that of the alleged intersexual misconduct and hostile enactment environment.

All 4 accidental successful the ailment that they worked 10 hours a day, six days a week for the Robinsons but were not paid minimum wage oregon overtime. They besides worked holidays without receiving a vacation rate, the suit says. The housekeepers made betwixt $10 and $18 an hr portion the adjunct made $15 an hr earlier getting a rise to $20 an hour.

Minimum wage successful California was $6.75 per hr successful 2006 and increased gradually implicit the years. In 2024, it was $16 per hr for those not moving for ample fast-food chains. In Los Angeles County successful July 2024, the minimum wage was $17.27 per hour, portion the minimum successful Las Vegas was $12 per hour.

“We volition person much to accidental connected this matter,” lawyer Frost said successful his statement, “as we fiercely support our clients against these mendacious allegations and enactment to support their bully names.”