Washington [US], May 16 : A criminal investigation has been launched into the sexual assault allegations against legendary singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson, his attorneys and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed to Variety.
The singer was sued last week by former female employees alleging sexual battery, assault and false imprisonment.
The women are asking for a trial with general damages for several allegations of no less than USD 50 million.
Four Jane Does, who worked for the singer between 2006 and 2024, filed a suit against Robinson and his wife Frances in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, all making similar claims that Robinson sexually assaulted them during their employment as housekeepers at his Chatsworth, CA, residence, as per the outlet.
"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," as per the statement issued by the police's office, reported Variety.
The singer's lawyer said in a statement, "We are aware that a police report has now been filed by the Plaintiffs in the civil lawsuit. It is clear to us what is happening here. Plaintiffs filed a police report only after they filed a USD 50 million lawsuit. This means only that the police are now required to investigate. We welcome that investigation, which involves Plaintiffs who continue to hide their identities, because exposure to the truth is a powerful thing."
"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. The record will ultimately demonstrate that this is nothing more than a manufactured lawsuit intended to tarnish the good names of Smokey and Frances Robinson, for no other reason than unadulterated avarice," the statement further reads.
The women also said that Robinson's wife created a hostile work environment by using "ethnically pejorative words and language" while screaming at the singer, and that she did not take proper action to prevent misconduct despite knowledge that he'd settled cases from previous women alleging similar assaults, reported Variety.
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