Motown legend Smokey Robinson and his wife Frances have filed a defamation lawsuit against four former housekeepers, alleging that their claims of rape and sexual assault were part of a fabricated extortion attempt. The counterclaim, lodged in Los Angeles Superior Court, follows a lawsuit from the women earlier this month and a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirming an active investigation into the allegations. The Robinsons argue the accusations are entirely false and designed to exploit their wealth and reputation.
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The former employees claim that Smokey Robinson assaulted them repeatedly at his Los Angeles home between 2007 and 2024, with Frances Robinson allegedly enabling the abuse. In their response, the Robinsons submitted photographs, text messages, and other evidence which they say contradict the allegations. The filing points to years of personal interactions between the couples and the women, including family holidays, gift exchanges, and financial assistance for personal matters, such as dental procedures and a car.
The Robinsons’ counterclaim describes the women’s actions as calculated and driven by “avarice and greed”, asserting that the accusers secretly harboured resentment while benefiting from the couple’s generosity. The suit portrays the allegations as part of a wider scheme to damage their reputation and extract money through intimidation and public pressure. The women’s legal representatives, however, have strongly condemned the defamation suit, describing it as a “baseless and vindictive legal manoeuvre” intended to silence survivors and deter others from speaking out.
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Lawyers for the women say they will seek to dismiss the lawsuit under California’s anti-SLAPP legislation, which is designed to protect individuals from being targeted by legal threats for exercising their right to bring forward claims. The women, who remain anonymous, allege multiple assaults by Robinson over the course of their employment, with one reporting over 20 incidents. The Sheriff’s Department has confirmed the existence of an investigation but declined to provide further comment at this stage.
