Singer Smokey Robinson is being investigated for criminal behavior one week after a lawsuit was filed against him by former female housekeepers alleging sexual battery and assault, and claiming he created a hostile work environment.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to ABC News on Thursday that its Special Victims Bureau is actively investigating claims of criminal behavior against the Motown artist. The investigation is in its early stages and is just beginning, the Sheriff’s Department said.
The investigation comes after a press conference on May 6, in which lawyers for four of Robinson’s former employees announced they had filed a lawsuit against him. Some of the women subsequently filed a police report against Robinson with the Sheriff’s Department, prompting a criminal investigation.
Christopher Frost, Robinson’s attorney, said in a statement to ABC News on Thursday, “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.”
Frost continued, “Plaintiffs filed a police report only after they filed a $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,” he added, calling the lawsuit “manufactured” and “intended to tarnish the good names of Smokey and Frances Robinson.”
The suit filed by Robinson’s former housekeepers — all of whom are listed as Jane Does — accuses the Motown artist of unwanted acts toward them. Robinson’s wife, Frances Robinson, is also listed as a defendant in the suit.
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