Smokey Robinson facing criminal investigation over rape allegations
Smokey Robinson is now facing a criminal investigation after he was accused of rape by four former housekeepers.
Earlier this month, they launched a civil lawsuit against Robinson, and now, the four women have filed a police report, which has led the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to open a criminal investigation into Robinson.
The four former employees are suing Robinson for sexual assault, battery, and false imprisonment. The women filed anonymously as Jane Does in the civil suit and are seeking a minimum of $50 million in damages. They allege the activities took place over the course of almost two decades from 2007 to 2024.
Robinson’s wife, Frances, is also named in the lawsuit as the four women claim she didn’t prevent her husband’s alleged abuse.
The alleged victim’s attorneys, John Harris and Herbert Hayden, said in a statement: “We are pleased to learn that the LA County Sheriff’s Department has opened a criminal investigation into our clients’ claims of sexual assault against Smokey Robinson.”
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The two attorneys continued: “Our clients intend to fully cooperate with LASD’s ongoing investigation in the pursuit of seeking justice for themselves and others that may have been similarly assaulted by him.”
Meanwhile, in a statement to Billboard, Robinson’s lawyer Christopher Frost described the claims as “manufactured and noted that the Sheriff’s Department are legally required to launch an investigation due to the police report.
The lawyer shared: “We welcome that investigation, which involves plaintiffs who continue to hide their identities, because exposure to the truth is a powerful thing.”
Frost continued: “We feel confident that a determination will be made that Mr. Robinson did nothing wrong, and that this is a desperate attempt to prejudice public opinion and make even more of a media circus than the Plaintiffs were previously able to create.”
Robinson denies the allegations.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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