Los Angeles: A criminal investigation has been officially launched by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department into rape and sexual assault allegations against legendary Motown singer Smokey Robinson. The announcement, made Thursday by the department’s Special Victims Bureau, confirms that authorities are “actively investigating criminal allegations” involving the 85-year-old musical icon.
This comes shortly after a civil lawsuit was filed last week in the Los Angeles Superior Court by four women who previously worked as housekeepers in Robinson’s Los Angeles residence. In the suit, they allege that Robinson raped and sexually assaulted them multiple times over several years—claims spanning from 2007 to as recently as 2024.
The women, whose identities remain undisclosed, are seeking at least $50 million in damages. One accuser claimed she was assaulted over 20 times between 2012 and 2024, while another reported 23 instances of abuse during her employment from 2014 to 2020.
Robinson’s attorney, Christopher Frost, has vehemently denied the allegations, labeling the lawsuit as baseless and driven by “unadulterated avarice.” In a statement issued earlier this week, Frost asserted, “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.”
Despite these denials, the initiation of a formal criminal investigation marks a serious development in the case. The Sheriff’s Department emphasized that the probe remains in its early stages, and has withheld further details for now.
Attorneys for the four women, John Harris and Herbert Hayden, welcomed the news of the investigation. In a statement, they said, “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.”
The allegations, which stretch across more than a decade, claim that Robinson assaulted the women while they were working in his home—often when they were alone with him. The victims allege that the abuse was repeated and took place under conditions of fear and manipulation, reflecting what they describe as a pattern of predatory behavior.
Robinson, known for his smooth voice and contributions to Motown with hits like “Cruisin’” and “Tracks of My Tears,” has long been celebrated as a cornerstone of American music. The criminal investigation now casts a dark shadow over his legacy.
As this is a developing case, both the public and media are awaiting further updates from the Sheriff’s Department. Meanwhile, legal experts say the lawsuit and accompanying investigation could potentially set the stage for both civil and criminal proceedings, depending on the evidence collected during the inquiry.
