Music legend Smokey Robinson and his wife Frances are at the center of a serious legal storm after four of their former employees filed a $50 million lawsuit accusing them of sexual abuse, assault, and creating a toxic work environment.
The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, comes from four women who worked in the Robinsons’ home in Chatsworth, California, over the years—mostly as housekeepers, personal assistants, or private chefs. To protect their identities, the women are being referred to in court as “Jane Does.”
Each woman has laid out deeply troubling claims. They allege repeated incidents of sexual harassment and abuse by Smokey Robinson and emotional or verbal mistreatment by his wife, Frances. The accusations include sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, and fostering a hostile workplace.
One woman said she worked there from January 2023 to February 2024 and was allegedly assaulted seven times. Another said she endured over 20 instances of abuse during her time there from 2014 to 2020. One particularly disturbing detail mentioned in the lawsuit involves a worker being lured into camera-free areas of the house, allegedly to prevent the abuse from being recorded. Another woman claimed Robinson once offered her $500 for oral sex after she rejected his advances. One of the plaintiffs says the abuse dates all the way back to a Las Vegas trip in 2007.
The women claim they remained silent for years because they were afraid—afraid of losing their jobs, ashamed of what happened, or concerned that their immigration status could be used against them.
The Robinsons, through their attorney Christopher Frost, have strongly denied all accusations, calling the lawsuit a sham and an attempt to extort $50 million from an 85-year-old music icon. In a statement to Variety, Frost said the allegations were false and that the evidence would clear the Robinsons’ names.
He also blasted the plaintiffs’ legal team, accusing them of trying to stir up a media frenzy. Frost criticized a recent press conference held by the women’s attorneys, saying it was full of “vile and false” claims and meant to turn public opinion against the Robinsons unfairly.
Frost further added that the legal team plans to file a motion to dismiss the case, arguing there are serious issues with the timelines, factual consistency, and even the relationships between the plaintiffs and others involved. He also claimed the attorneys had made inappropriate public comments that crossed professional boundaries.
As of now, the case is in its early stages, and no court rulings have been made. But one thing is clear—this is going to be a high-profile and highly sensitive legal battle, with serious consequences for all parties involved. Whether these accusations hold up in court will depend on the evidence presented in the coming months.