Iconic soul singer Smokey Robinson, who was accused of sexually assaulting four former housekeepers for years in a lawsuit filed earlier this month, is under criminal investigation, a law enforcement official said Thursday.
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said the investigation is in its early stages and declined further comment.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs said the investigation, first reported by TMZ, is linked to the lawsuit.
"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," John Harris and Herbert Hayden said in a statement.
An attorney for Robinson, whose real name is William Robinson Jr., said he welcomes the investigation and feels "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," said the lawyer, Christopher Frost, referring to Robinson's wife.
The lawsuit accuses Frances Robinson of perpetuating a hostile work environment.
The suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, is seeking $50 million in damages and identifies the plaintiffs as former housekeepers. One of the women alleges that she was sexually assaulted at least 23 times between 2014 and 2020, according to the suit.
Another plaintiff said she was assaulted at least 20 times during the 12 years she worked for Robinson, a pioneering Motown artist who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
Harris said the women, identified as Jane Does 1-4 in the suit, were low-wage workers who did not previously come forward because they feared reprisal and public embarrassment.
Three of the women also said they were concerned about possible adverse effects on their immigration status, according to the suit.
