A look inside Smokey Robinson lawsuits amid new allegations from male accuser

According to a recent TMZ report, the newest individual accusing Smokey Robinson of se*ual battery was a man, a development that emerged as the singer faced separate allegations from four former employees.

As NBC News had reported on May 7, 2025, the longtime housekeepers filed a lawsuit claiming Smokey Robinson se*ually assaulted some of them repeatedly across several years. The civil action, lodged in Los Angeles County Superior Court, placed much of the alleged misconduct inside Robinson’s Chatsworth residence, northwest of downtown Los Angeles.

The complaint, 27 pages in total, identified the plaintiffs only as Jane Does 1–4 and requested damages of at least $50 million. Attorney John Harris, representing the women, told reporters,

“Obviously, no amount can compensate these women for what Mr. Robinson subjected them to.” He added that, given the severity of the accusations, “this amount is clearly warranted.”

Three of the accusers attended a press conference in Los Angeles with their faces covered to preserve their privacy, while the fourth participated virtually.

Harris said all four women shared similar circumstances: They “were Hispanic women employed as housekeepers earning below minimum wage.” Their limited resources, he explained, left them without meaningful ways to shield themselves. They refrained from speaking out earlier, Harris said, because they feared losing income. Some had worked in Smokey Robinson's home simultaneously yet felt too embarrassed to discuss the alleged assaults with each other. Coming forward, he said, brought an “avalanche of emotion.”

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Smokey Robinson and wife named in civil suit alleging repeated abuse of housekeepers

According to NBC News, the lawsuit alleged that Smokey Robinson assaulted one of the women at least 23 times between May 2014 and February 2020, often in parts of his Chatsworth home where no security cameras were installed. The filing also stated that another long-time employee was assaulted at least 20 times over the 12 years she worked for him, beginning in 2012. In her account, Smokey Robinson allegedly forced her into his bedroom and carried out what the suit described as a “ritual” in which he would emerge from his bathroom naked or nearly naked. The complaint said he would then place a towel on the bed so the linens would not be soiled “for what was about to occur.”

The suit claimed that two other women experienced similar behavior. One housekeeper, who worked for Smokey Robinson for roughly 13 months, alleged that he assaulted her at least seven times.

“In a desperate attempt to him to stop his se*ual assaults,” the suit stated, “she would proclaim ‘you’re married.’” The complaint said Smokey Robinson ignored her objections.

Another plaintiff said Smokey Robinson warned that if she refused to have s*x with him, he would have his wife, Frances Robinson, be “mean” to her, according to the filing. In additional reporting from NPR on May 16, 2025, Robinson’s attorney, Christopher Frost, argued that the women filed a police report only after initiating the civil action in an effort to draw publicity. Filing the report, he noted, required the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to open an investigation.

In a statement, Frost said,

“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.”

The civil case also named Robinson’s wife, Frances Robinson.

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Fresh allegation from male employee adds new layer

On Sept. 11, 2025, Rolling Stone reported that Los Angeles County Judge Kevin C. Brazile ruled the four Jane Does suing Smokey Robinson for se*ual assault could continue using pseudonyms as their $50 million lawsuit advanced.

Robinson had attempted to require the plaintiffs to refile under their real names, asserting they gave up their anonymity by appearing in masks and sunglasses at a May 6 press conference where attorneys described them as Latina, underpaid, and hesitant to report their allegations due to potential immigration-related reprisals.

Robinson, who filed a $500 million cross-complaint accusing the women of defamation and elder abuse, argued that anonymity allowed the plaintiffs to “pick and choose” what became public. Before the court issued its ruling, Robinson’s lawyer, Christopher Frost, claimed the pseudonyms obstructed subpoenas and cited excerpts from Jane Doe 3’s sealed deposition. Frost said Doe 3 was the sister of Jane Doe 2 and brought her into the Robinsons’ employment years after alleging she herself had been assaulted. He also argued that Doe 3 stayed in her job for 12 years, left briefly, then returned, all while claiming she was being assaulted.

Judge Brazile maintained his tentative decision, saying anonymity was appropriate at this early phase but could be reconsidered. He set an Oct. 11, 2027 trial date, noting Robinson’s age of 85 placed the case on a faster track than others. The judge said he would allow the defense to use the accusers’ names when contacting third-party witnesses if necessary.

In a TMZ report dated Nov. 18, 2025, Frost accused the plaintiffs of coordinating an effort to damage Robinson’s reputation.

“These plaintiffs are part of the same group of people who have conspired together against the Robinsons and are layering out their claims for maximum adverse publicity,” he said.

Frost characterized the broader allegations as an “organized, avaricious campaign” and argued that the Jane Does were withholding evidence.

“Once the public can see the truth, their avaricious motives and fabricated claims will be revealed,” he told the outlet.

TMZ also reported that Robinson’s newest accuser was a man who alleged that the singer grabbed his hand and attempted to force it onto Robinson’s erect pe*is. According to legal documents reviewed by the outlet, the man said he began working for the Robinson household around 2013, detailing cars in the early mornings. He claimed Robinson sometimes came outside wearing only underwear and touched or fondled his erect pe*is while the employee was present.