Why did Smokey Robinson and first wife Claudette Rogers Robinson separate? Diana Ross affair and more explored

William “Smokey” Robinson Jr., who was previously married to Claudette Rogers Robinson, is facing s*xual assault allegations.

Four of the R&B singer-songwriter’s former housekeepers have reportedly accused him of repeatedly abusing them for years. Multiple outlets reported that the anonymous ex-employees filed a $50 million lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has not responded to the allegations.

A Quiet Storm singer-songwriter is well-known for his 27-year-long marriage with his former Miracles fellow member, Claudette Rogers Robinson. The Robinsons tied the knot in November 1959 and had two children together. In 1986, the First Lady of Motown and the Pure Smokey artist parted ways due to the latter’s infidelity.

In the May 1989 edition of Ebony, the ex-Miracles frontman spoke about his extramarital affair with a woman named Kandy and his drug problem during the ‘80s. The singer fathered an illegitimate child in 1984 before he was supposed to remarry his then-wife on their 25th anniversary. Smokey revealed in the article,

“I'd planned to tell Claudette while Kandi was pregnant, but something got in the way—her plans for our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Claudette knew something was wrong. She knew things were coming to a head. She wanted us to remarry for our twenty-fifth anniversary.”

Smokey stated that he tried to make his marriage with Claudette Rogers Robinson work but wasn’t able to do it. Around the same time, the singer’s drug issues started, which ultimately became another reason for his divorce. Smokey Robinson stated that he initiated the split months later and filed for separation, citing irreconcilable differences.

The former Miracles frontman dated Diana Ross while still being married to Claudette Rogers Robinson

The Gasms singer divorced his first wife due to his infidelity and drug problems, as he disclosed his relationship with a woman named Kandy in a 1989 Ebony article. However, it wasn’t the only extramarital affair Smokey Robinson had during his first marriage. In a 2023 interview with The Guardian, he admitted to his relationship with Diana Ross, mother of Tracee Ellis Ross.

Smokey told the newspaper that he dated Ross for almost a year while still being married to Claudette Rogers Robinson,

“About a year. I was married at the time. We were working together and it just happened. But it was beautiful. She’s a beautiful lady, and I love her right till today. She’s one of my closest people. She was young and trying to get her career together. I was trying to help her. I brought her to Motown, in fact. I wasn’t going after her and she wasn’t going after me. It just happened.”

Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson broke up, and the latter eventually divorced Claudette Rogers Robinson. Initially, the former couple’s relationship turned bitter after their split; as William recounted in his Ebony article,

“She grew angry and bitter. One day I went to see the kids and bumped into Claudette. When I tried to act civil, she was short and hostile with me. ‘Why can't we still be friends?’ I asked. ‘Friendship and divorce don't coincide,’ she answered.”

In subsequent years, the dynamic between Smokey and Claudette Rogers Robinson improved. The First Lady of Motown dedicated an Instagram post to her ex-husband in September 2023 and wrote,

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“Although we are no longer married, @SmokeyRobinson and I still share the joys of our family, a deep friendship rooted in music, and a legendary bond forged while growing up together at @MotownRecords' Hitsville.”

Claudette and Smokey are parents to Berry and Tamla Robinson, whom they had after the former suffered seven miscarriages, per People. Rogers didn’t marry again after their divorce, while William Jr. tied the knot with Frances Gladney in 2002.

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