Smokey Robinson sues former housekeepers for defamation over rape allegations

Robinson and his wife Frances Robinson filed the counterclaim on Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court against the women and their lawyers, whose allegations, they say, were 'fabricated in an extortionate scheme'.
The filing is a fast and forceful legal and public pushback from the 85-year-old Motown music luminary in response to the women's May 6 lawsuit and a May 15 announcement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department that its Special Victims Bureau is 'actively investigating criminal allegations' against Robinson.
The women are seeking at least 50 million dollars, alleging Smokey Robinson repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted them in his home when they worked for him between 2007 and 2024.
They said Frances Robinson, a co-defendant, enabled him and created an abusive workplace.
The counterclaim opens with friendly text messages from the women to contradict their claims against Robinson, whose songs, including Tears Of A Clown and The Tracks Of My Tears, established him among the biggest hitmakers of the 1960s.
The filing says the women 'stayed with the Robinsons year after year', holidayed with them, celebrated holidays with them, exchanged gifts with them, asked for tickets to his concerts, and sought and received help from them including money for dental surgery, financial support for a disabled family member, and 'even a car'.
The filing — which includes photos from the holidays and gatherings as exhibits — says that despite the couple's generosity, the women 'secretly harboured resentment for the Robinsons and sought to enrich themselves through the Robinsons' wealth'.
'Unfortunately, the depths of Plaintiffs' avarice and greed know no bounds,' the counterclaim says.
'During the very time that the Robinsons were being extraordinarily generous with Plaintiffs, Plaintiffs were concocting an extortionate plan to take everything from the Robinsons.'
John Harris and Herbert Hayden, attorneys for the former housekeepers, said in a statement that the defamation suit 'is nothing more than an attempt to silence and intimidate the survivors of Mr. Robinson's sexual battery and assault. It is a baseless and vindictive legal manoeuvre designed to re-victimise, shift blame and discourage others from coming forward.'
The lawyers said they intend to get the Robinsons' lawsuit thrown out by invoking California's laws against using the courts to silence and intimidate people who sue.
The four women, whose names are withheld in their lawsuit, each allege that Robinson would wait until they were alone with him in his Los Angeles house and then sexually assault and rape them.
One woman said she was assaulted at least 20 times while working for Robinson from 2012 until 2024. Another said she worked for him from 2014 until 2020 and was assaulted at least 23 times.
The Sheriff's Department would give no details on its investigation beyond confirming its existence.
Robinson, who was a central figure in the Motown Records machine with his group the Miracles and as a solo artist, is a member of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Spectator

4 days ago

• Spectator

Heaven is Angel Delight

I once heard an American complain that, being married to an Englishwoman, he was regularly baffled by the contents of his kitchen cupboards – salad cream, Ambrosia custard and Robinsons barley water. It was 'like industrial processed food but from the Shire'. It is probably this quality of baffling foreigners that allegedly enabled drug runners to use sachets of Angel Delight – the ultimate English ultra-processed food, surely to be found on many a table in Hobbiton, if only for second dinner – to smuggle cocaine into Indonesia. What could be more natural than an Englishman carrying real artificial flavours in his luggage so he didn't have to make do with nasi goreng and chicken satay? (When I went to Japan for a year, my luggage was filled with proper tea bags.) The Balinese police have, however, got wise to their MO, and three Britons have appeared in court charged with drug smuggling, for which they could face execution by firing squad if found guilty. Angel Delight was invented in 1967 in the research department of Bird's in Banbury – right in the heart of the Shire. The market research showed that there was a demand for a bland, creamy-textured instant pudding; and, of course, the dessert company bosses didn't get where they are today without knowing a good thing when they see one. It hit sales of £2 million in the first year. I'd be lying if I said that it tastes as good as I remember it; but whenever I eat Angel Delight I am taken back to my childhood in the 1970s. It's not the flavour in itself – back then, Bird's experimented with blackcurrant, peach and coffee-and-walnut flavours, which have rightly been consigned to the memory hole – so much as the memory of a midweek treat. No one ever planned to have Angel Delight, so there was never any burden of expectation on it; and we would often be 'allowed' to make it ourselves, which made it taste even sweeter than an Arctic roll from the freezer compartment. Attempts to add to it – I have heard tales of crumbling flakes over the chocolate version, or taking a blowtorch to demerara sugar over butterscotch for Angel Delight brûlée – only take that memory away. (I am not even going to mention the decadence of ready-made pots which I saw in the supermarket last week.) The chef Kirk Haworth, winner of The Great British Menu, says that it is the combination of all these factors that gives Angel Delight its power: from the colour and the 'mainstream' flavours to its being 'very attractive textually on the palate', along with the fact that you don't need to be a chef to make it. And, he says, everyone comes back to the first flavours that entered their palate. Last year, as part of a project to reinvent nostalgic classics, his evolution of Angel Delight was as a drink: 'We aerated the flavours, and then we made the colours with desiccated coconut; it was playful and inner-childish but super light and fluffy, when we put gas into the mixture, almost like air.' Kirk runs Plates London, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Old Street, with his sister Keeley. He has no children, but his sister does; has he introduced them to the delights of Delight? He pauses. 'No.'

Rhyl Journal

4 days ago

• Rhyl Journal

Rhyl Events Arena to host free ‘Summertime Weekender' event

On August 2 and 3, the venue will be full of performances and activities for all ages, for an event that has been organised by Rhyl Town Council and Denbighshire Leisure Ltd (DLL). Tickets are now available, with gates opening at 1pm on both days. The festivities begin on Saturday, August 2 with acts including The Big Pop Party Show – featuring tributes to Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa and Meghan Trainor - Queen Rhapsody, performing Queen's hits; and classic rock anthems from tribute band Kaiser Monkey Killers. Sunday (August 3)'s line-up includes Midnight Soul Sisters, delivering soulful Motown classics; Elite Elton, performing the hits of Elton John; and Ska Britannia, known for their energetic performances and showmanship. Families can also enjoy a range of fun and free entertainment at the arena throughout the day, including face painting, balloon modelling, a caricaturist and more. A Rhyl Town Council statement read: 'Rhyl Town Council are really pleased to be joining forces with Denbighshire Leisure Limited this year, and we're thrilled with the line-up for the Summertime Weekender. 'Don't miss out. Grab your free tickets, your sunglasses and your best dancing shoes, and we'll see you there!' Jamie Groves, managing director of Denbighshire Leisure Ltd, said: 'We're delighted to partner with Rhyl Town Council to bring another free event to Rhyl this summer. 'We're thrilled to giveaway hundreds of free tickets to the local community to start their summer in style at the Events Arena. 'We are committed to giving the residents of Denbighshire the best summer ever, and this is just the start of the exciting events we have planned this year.' Tickets are available by calling the Rhyl Pavilion Theatre box office on 01745 330000, and are limited to four per household.

Daily Mirror

5 days ago

• Daily Mirror

Diana Ross in rare interview - 'My five children really take care of their mum'

Music legend Diana Ross opens up ahead of her hotly-anticipated UK tour about family, fashion, and why performing live is her 'life force' When it comes to dramatic entrances, there is no doubt Diana Ross reigns Supreme. Sweeping down the navy-blue carpet in an extraordinary, floor-grazing white gown, the legendary star lit up the Met Gala last month. ‌ With a feather-boa trimmed cape and hat - not to mention several assistants carrying the train up the stairs - she marked her first appearance at the fashion event for 20 years with a bang. ‌ And the Grammy-winning legend aims to make a similar splash when she takes to the stage of her UK tour next week. In a rare, exclusive interview, Diana says how fashion - and numerous dazzling costume changes - will be at the heart of the new dates. Not least, she says, because us Brits have such a keen sense of style. 'I'm really looking forward to coming to the UK...I love the country and the British people have elegance,' she explains. Diana is determined to build on the last series of shows here, which included the Queen's Platinum Jubilee concert and her unforgettable turn on Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage, in 2022, as well as the Royal Albert Hall the following year. 'I'm bringing my live band and I've added an orchestra and a choir that will really make these shows almost two hours of memories, dancing, and dazzling costume changes,' she says. ‌ All of her gowns for these shows have been custom-made, with Diana personally designing each one and working with a seamstress to bring them to life. 'Fashion and music are both forms of self-expression—it's really a part of who I am and how I connect. On this tour, I want every gown and every song to reflect a spirit of being fun and elegant,' she says. ‌ 'Music and fashion go hand and hand - dressing up feels wonderful, and I want to inspire everyone coming to the shows - to do the same.' As well as fashion, family means everything to Diana too, who has five kids, and eight grandchildren. 'My family is really my greatest joy and blessing. [Eldest daughter] Rhonda travels with me on tour and will be at the shows. My five children really take care of their mum,' she says. ‌ Diana had Rhonda, 53, with Motown legend Berry Gordy in 1971. The same year, she married her first husband, music executive Robert Ellis Silberstein, and they had two more daughters: Tracee, 52, and Chudney, 49. Diana split from Silberstein in 1977 and went on to marry Norwegian mountaineer Arne Naess Jr. in 1986. The former couple had sons Ross, 37, and Evan, 36. Diana says she was determined to pay homage to all her kids by sewing all their names into her Met Gala gown. ‌ 'Fashion, like music, tells a story,' she explains ' The Met Gala was a special moment for me. My son Evan and a young designer Ugo Mozie and I collaborated on the gown and cloak that I wore. We wanted something meaningful. The 18-foot train stretches across generations with the names of my adult children and grandchildren beautifully embroidered on it. It's beaded and has crystals— the details celebrate my family, and our love.' Born in Detroit's Brewster-Douglass Housing Project - America's first federally funded housing for African Americans - Diana was one of six children and grew up singing at family parties and in a Baptist church gospel choir. ‌ Her life changed forever when she met Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson and in early 1959, the three girls along with Betty McGlown, started The Primettes', an all-girl singing group. 'My love for singing became my life and my moments really gave me hope. It was the beginning of this beautiful, incredibly blessed journey,' she says. The trio auditioned for the fledgling Motown label and in January 1961, they were eventually signed as The Supremes. ‌ By 1965 they had racked up five consecutive number one hits with songs such as Baby Love and Stop! In the Name of Love. In 1967, the band's name was changed to Diana Ross and the Supremes, before Diana went solo three years later. ‌ With such a huge body of work, Diana is spoilt for choice when it comes to curating a special set-list. 'The audiences have requested songs that were big: I'm Still Waiting, Love Hangover and Chain Reaction. UK, here I come,' she says. In preparation for the shows, Diana has a few strategies to stay performance-ready including steaming her throat, drinking hot tea with honey and breathing exercises. ‌ And despite a career spanning six decades, Diana says she still gets as much of a thrill from performing live to audiences as ever. In fact, she describes it as her 'life force.' 'There is nothing more magical than performing. When I go out on stage, I feel alive. That's pure magic to me,' she says. ‌ 'Performing on stage brings me a lot of joy. It's fun for me as well as the audience. I can feel the exchange of energy with the audience as I perform. I love seeing the beautiful, happy faces from the stage. The audiences are such an important part of all my shows.' It is with them in mind that she has enlisted three of the most prestigious UK orchestras for her shows. She is performing five times with the Manchester based Hallé Orchestra, before being joined by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Glasgow and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra for London. 'I want everyone to feel like they're part of something truly special. They are just as much a part of the shows as I am — each show is a night I hope they'll never forget. Music. Memories. And Dazzle,' she says.