Attorneys for Smokey Robinson and his wife want a judge to order four former housekeepers who allege they were sexually abused by the music legend to be more specific in answering questions about whether they have possible criminal histories.
According to their suit filed May 6, the plaintiffs contend the alleged abuses occurred at the 85-year-old Motown icon’s Chatsworth home and elsewhere.
A plaintiff identified as Jane Doe 1 alleges Robinson waited until his wife, Frances Robinson, was at a nail salon before abusing her. The plaintiffs further allege that Frances Robinson tolerated the singer’s behavior toward them and also was herself belligerent in her interactions with the staff.
But in court papers filed Oct. 27 with Judge Kevin Brazile, the Robinson lawyers say that the only answer the housekeepers give when queried in written questions about any criminal records have is to say they have never been arrested, charged or convicted of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude.
“Whether the plaintiffs have criminal histories or backgrounds is unquestionably relevant to this defense,” the Robinson lawyers contend. “For example, if they have none, the Robinsons are entitled to have that information in a sworn response, lest the plaintiffs later suggest to the jury that it was a minor criminal infraction, not the Robinsons, that precluded or rendered difficult alternative employment.”
Further, if the four do have criminal records, that evidence could be relevant to the plaintiffs’ motive or intent to “try to shake down the Robinsons for millions of dollars…” the Robinson attorneys further state in their court papers, adding that a key part of the defense is that the plaintiffs could have, but did not, voluntarily obtain employment elsewhere during the alleged multiple-year period during which they allegedly were subject to wrongdoing.
“Despite the absurdity and provocative nature of the plaintiffs’ claims, and armed with the truth on their side, the Robinsons must nonetheless leave no stone unturned when it comes to investigating these plaintiffs, their motives and their illegal conspiracy to seek to extract millions of dollars from the Robinsons that resulted in the filing of this case,” the Robinson attorneys state.
Hearings on the Robinson motions are scheduled for June 29 and July 20, 2026.