Smokey Robinson accused of sexual assault by four former employees

Motown singing legend Smokey Robinson has been accused of sexual assault by four women who used to work for him, according to a workplace harassment complaint filed Tuesday at a Los Angeles courthouse.

Motown singing legend Smokey Robinson has been accused of sexual assault by four women who used to work for him, according to a workplace harassment complaint filed Tuesday at a Los Angeles courthouse. The complaint obtained by CNN details allegations from the unnamed women, who say they worked as housekeepers for Robinson and his wife at various times from 2006 to 2024. Each said she resigned because of Robinson’s “repeated sexual assaults and sexual harassment.” The complaint states the women were “unwilling” to report Robinson’s alleged actions to authorities due to fear of losing their livelihoods and public embarrassment, as well as “being threatened and intimidated” by his celebrity status and the influential people around him. Three of the four women also worried about “the possible adverse effect on her immigration status,” the complaint added. In addition to the sexual assault allegations, the women are seeking at least $50 million in total damages for alleged actions including emotional distress, gender violence, hostile work environment and several labor violations. CNN has reached out to Robinson’s representatives for comment. John Harris, an attorney for the plaintiffs, on Tuesday said during a news conference that the women – referred to in the filing as Jane Does 1-4 – decided to sue to “stand up for their rights, as well as the rights of other women.” Harris added that the four plaintiffs “want and demand justice for themselves” and that the filing of the lawsuit “is the first step of their journey to achieve that objective.”