Four Alleged Victims Sue Motown Icon Smokey Robinson for Sexual Battery and Assault

Content warning: This article mentions allegations of sexual assault and rape.

Motown legend Smokey Robinson is back in the news, but not for good reasons. The two-time Hollywood Walk of Fame inductee and "Baby Come Close" singer has been named in a new lawsuit brought by several former housekeepers who worked for the iconic record producer and his second wife, Frances Glandey.

The allegations in the lawsuit are severe and deeply disturbing, involving accusations that paint a troubling picture of their time working for the Robinsons. Here's a breakdown of the case and everything you need to know about the claims being made.

On Tuesday, May 6, 2025, four individuals came forward with a lawsuit against Smokey Robinson, whose full legal name is William Robinson Jr., and his wife, Frances Glandey. Filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, the lawsuit names the Miracles' founder and his wife as defendants, with the plaintiffs seeking $50 million in damages.

According to court documents obtained by Variety, the four women explained that they had refrained from taking legal action against Robinson until now due to various fears.

Robinson's alleged victims cited concerns about "losing their livelihood, familial reprisal, or embarrassment." Additionally, some of them expressed anxiety that filing a claim could jeopardize their immigration status, further complicating their decision to come forward.

The lawsuit alleged that between 2012 and 2024, four women endured sexual battery, assault, and false imprisonment while employed as housekeepers at Robinson's residence in Chatsworth, Calif. Each woman described similar experiences, claiming that Robinson sexually assaulted them during their time working in the household.

"Our four clients have a common thread: They're Hispanic women who were employed as housekeepers by the Robinsons, earning below minimum wage," the plaintiffs' attorney, John Harris, said at a press conference, per Entertainment Weekly. "As low-wage workers in vulnerable positions, they lacked the resources and options necessary to protect themselves from sexual assault throughout their tenure as employees for the Robinsons."

According to the complaint, Jane Doe 1 worked for the pair from January 2023 to February 2024 and alleged that Robinson sexually assaulted her on at least seven occasions.

The complaint also declared that Jane Doe 2 worked for the controversial pair from May 2014 to February 2020, and that during that period, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee's "brutal sexual advances" became "constant and even predictable" after 2016.

The suit also reported that Robinson would "summon" Jane Doe 2 to areas of his home in the blind spots of his closed-circuit cameras, and eventually sexually assaulted her at least 23 times.

Jane Doe 3 is said to have worked for the Robinsons from February 2012 to April 2024. The complaint argueed that the disgraced musician "raped" Doe 3 at least 20 times, and at one point offered her $500 for oral sex.

The lawsuit further remarked that Jane Doe 4, who apparently worked for the couple from October 2006 until April 2024, was first sexually assaulted by the "One Heartbeat" vocalist at his Las Vegas home in 2007, and again at his Bell Canyon residence in 2019. Jane Doe 4 also asserted that Robinson "raped" her at his Chatsworth home.

According to Entertainment Weekly, the complaint also accused Robinson of "intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligent infliction of emotional distress, gender violence, creating a hostile work environment, and several labor code violations."

The plaintiffs alleged that Glandey also contributed to the hostile work environment by using "ethnically pejorative words and language" while yelling at Robinson. They also argued that she failed to intervene or take appropriate steps to prevent the misconduct, despite allegedly being aware of prior settlements involving similar accusations against her husband.

The plaintiffs further alleged that both Robinson and Glandey denied the housekeepers legally required lunch and rest breaks, and failed to pay minimum wage and overtime compensation during their employment.