On Monday, Smokey Robinson and his wife Frances Robinson became the subject of a lawsuit claiming their employees were the victims of rape, sexual crimes, gender based violence, a hostile work environment, and failure to pay them minimum wage. The allegations come from four Jane Does, all of whom worked as housekeepers between 2007 and 2024. While Smokey is the focus of the lawsuit, Frances is named because she allegedly knew what was happening and failed to protect the employees.
Last night, the Robinsons responded to the claims via their attorney Christopher Frost in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. Dubbing the allegations “vile” and “false,” Frost claimed, “the evidence will show that this is simply an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon — $50 million dollars, to be exact.”
“Through this process we have seen the bizarre theatrics of yesterday’s news conference, as the plaintiffs’ attorneys outlined vile, false allegations against Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, trying to enlist the public as an unwitting participant in the media circus they are trying to create,” Frost’s statement continues. The attorney also claimed that there are “numerous aspects of the complaint that defy credulity” and that he would be filing a motion to dismiss the case.
Per The New York Times, Robinson is currently touring and is, as of this writing, scheduled to perform at a casino in Biloxi, Mississippi on Friday night. The outlet reports that he has been involved in a handful of lawsuits over his 85 years relating to things like royalty payments and copyright issues.
