Case Highlights
- A fifth woman has filed a police report accusing Smokey Robinson of sexual battery, intensifying an ongoing criminal investigation.
- Four former employees originally sought $50 million in a civil lawsuit alleging repeated assault, false imprisonment and a hostile work environment.
- Robinson and his legal team countersued for defamation, calling the claims an extortion attempt.
By Samuel Lopez – USA Herald
LOS ANGELES, CA – In a dramatic escalation of an already high‑profile legal battle, a fifth woman stepped forward to accuse 85‑year‑old Motown legend Smokey Robinson of sexual battery, filing her report on July 16 at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Malibu/Lost Hills station and bringing the total accusers to five.
This latest complaint arrives two months after four former housekeepers and a personal assistant filed a $50 million civil lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, accusing Robinson of sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment and maintaining a hostile work environment between 2006 and 2024. Those initial allegations prompted the Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau to open a criminal investigation in mid‑May.
Law enforcement sources confirm the unnamed fifth accuser appeared before deputies to detail her claims, officially expanding the probe to five victims, all of whom have now filed police reports with LASD.
According to court documents, the civil lawsuit alleges Robinson forced his employees into oral and vaginal sex dozens of times in his California estate, often showering beforehand and taking measures to avoid leaving evidence. The suit also names Robinson’s wife, Frances, accusing her of creating a hostile environment by failing to intervene.
Robinson and his legal team have responded with a $500 million countersuit—claiming defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and financial elder abuse—and have labeled the accusations a coordinated extortion attempt. Attorney Christopher Frost told TMZ the emergence of a fifth accuser “is one of the risks of being a celebrity” and that their focus remains “on exposing the falsity of the Doe lawsuit.”
The parallel civil and criminal proceedings present unique challenges for both sides. While the criminal investigation continues, the civil lawsuit moves forward on its own timeline, potentially creating strategic complications for Robinson’s defense team.
In civil proceedings, defendants can be compelled to testify, while in criminal cases, they retain Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination. The timing and coordination of these cases will likely play a crucial role in their ultimate outcomes.
The accusers’ decision to remain anonymous, while legally permissible, may complicate public perception of the case. However, their willingness to file official police reports demonstrates a commitment to pursuing criminal charges, not just civil damages.
🛑 It should be noted that the assertions in the Jane Does’ lawsuit are merely allegations and have not been proven in a court of law.
