Police reportedly launched a criminal investigation against Motown legend Smokey Robinson after four former housekeepers accused him of rape and sexual battery.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department’s (LASD) investigation comes a week after the alleged victims filed a $50 million civil lawsuit against Robinson over allegations as far back as 2014, according to NPR. A lawyer denied the allegations on the singer’s behalf.
The LASD issued a written statement Thursday. “The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Bureau is actively investigating criminal allegations involving William Robinson aka ‘Smokey Robinson.’ The investigation is in the early stages, and we have no further comment,” the department said.
INDIO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 01: Smokey Robinson performs onstage during Day 3 of the 2022 Stagecoach Festival at the Empire Polo Field on May 01, 2022 in Indio, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for Stagecoach)
In the civil lawsuit, the women accuse Robinson of what their attorney, John Harris, claimed was “sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence and creating a hostile work environment.”
Harris alleged that Robinson would summon Jane Doe #1 “to his blue bedroom, which you’ll probably be hearing about later on. After having just showered, he would come out of the adjoining bathroom naked and proceed to force her to have sex with him against her will,” according to NPR.
“He sexually assaulted and raped her in this manner seven times. She quit in February, 2024 because she could no longer endure these sexual assaults,” the attorney continued.
Harris claimed the women did make the allegations public before due to their immigration status.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 27: Smokey Robinson speaks onstage during the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony for Martha Reeves on March 27, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Christopher Frost, Robinson’s lawyer, claimed the accusers filed their report with law enforcement following the civil suit to attract the public’s attention, according to NPR. The LASD is required to investigate the matter because the report was filed.
“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,” Frost staid. (RELATED: Four Women Sue Smokey Robinson Over Alleged Sexual Assault)
“The record will ultimately demonstrate that this is nothing more than a manufactured lawsuit,” he said, according to NPR.
Robinson is a legendary artist credited with hits including “Being With You,” “One Heartbeat” and “Just to See Her,” which snagged a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. Daryl Hall and John Oates, a rock and roll duo, inducted Robinson into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 1987.
This article was originally published at dailycaller.com
