Motown legend Smokey Robinson is under criminal investigation over allegations he sexually assaulted four former housekeepers between 2007 and 2024.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Unit is “actively investigating criminal allegations involving William Robinson AKA ‘Smokey Robinson,'” the department said in a statement to local news station KTLA5 on Thursday, May 15.
“The investigation is in the early stages, and we have no further comment,” the department added.
Related: Smokey Robinson Denies ‘Ugly’ Allegations in $50M Sexual Assault Lawsuit
The four anonymous Jane Doe accusers filed a civil lawsuit against Robinson on May 6 in L.A. County Superior Court alleging sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence and creating a hostile work environment.
The suit alleged the singer touched the women over their “entire bodies” without consent. Robinson’s wife was also named in the complaint, with the women claiming she knew what was happening in her home, but did nothing to stop the alleged assaults.
The lawsuit said the accusers were afraid to report Robinson to local authorities because of the singer-songwriter’s fame and wealth. The women are seeking $50 million in damages.
Robinson denied the allegations through his attorney and said the women are looking for a payday.
“As this case progresses, 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,” attorney Christopher Frost previously said in a statement to Urban Hollywood 411.
“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 added. “We will be asking the Court to dismiss the lawsuit.”
The women are represented by Los Angeles-based Harris & Hayden law firm. The day the lawsuit was filed, attorneys from the firm held a news conference.
“Our four clients have a common thread. They’re Hispanic women who were employed as housekeepers by the Robinsons, earning below minimum wage,” attorney John Harris told reporters.
Harris described Robinson as an alleged predator and called him a “sick” man.
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