After Smokey Robinson filed countersuit of alleged defamation and elder abuse against his accusers of alleged sexual harassment in June earlier this year, two more people have come forward to accuse Smokey Robinson of alleged sexual battery. The first claims of wrongdoing were raised against the singer and ex-Motown Records executive Robinson and his wife earlier this year in March. It was brought forward by four women, who claimed that the 85-year-old allegedly committed sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence and creating a hostile work environment during their time working as housekeepers between 2007 to April 2024, according to NME.
The original claims saw both Smokey and his wife Frances sued for a total of $50million (£37.5million) in damages and through his lawyer Christopher Frost, Robinson denied all claims as “vile”, “false” and “an ugly method of trying to extract money”. Now, the four women originally involved filed a new motion in court on November 14, seeking to amend their complaint and add two more people who have come forward with accusations against Robinson.
According to a report from People, the motion claims the allegations from the two new accusers “mirror, both in substance and scope, those already set forth by Jane Does 1-4, and largely concern the same time periods, locations, and conduct by the same defendants,” and asks the court to allow the plaintiffs to file the amended complaint.
One of the accusers is identified as Jane Doe 5 and claims she faced “constant” sexual harassment from Robinson while she worked as a housekeeper for him between 2005 and 2011. This included instances where he allegedly “grabbed her hand and tried to force her to touch” him inappropriately more than 10 times, groping her and asking her to enter the bathroom while he was showering and ask her to scrub his back. She also claims that the alleged groping instances caused trauma that led to her getting breast reduction surgery in 2015 and that his wife Frances allegedly created a “hostile” environment for her and used “ethnically pejorative” language towards her.
The second of the new accusers is referred to as John Doe 1 and claims that Robinson allegedly touched himself inappropriately in front of him during the time he was hired to do detail work on the Robinson’s cars. John Doe 1 also claims that Robinson allegedly tried to force him to touch him in 2022 and after a year since being fired, he was asked to return to work by Frances. After doing so, he alleges, he faced “humiliation, emotional distress and ongoing fear for his safety and dignity”.
In a new statement to the outlet, Robinson’s lawyer Christopher Frost once again denied all allegations of wrongdoing and described the claims as an “organised, avaricious campaign to extract money from an 85-year-old legend.” He added that those who have come forward “hide behind anonymity, and their attorneys [to] seek global publicity while making the ugliest of false allegations” and added that “once the public can see the truth, their avaricious motives and fabricated claims will be revealed.”
The plaintiffs’ attorney, John Harris, told People: “We commend these two courageous survivors for stepping forward and adding their voices to this case. We look forward to advocating for them vigorously as they pursue the justice they deserve.”
A hearing for the new motion is scheduled for January 6. A trial for the claims is set for October 2027.
Leave a Comment