Smokey Robinson‘s attorney responded to allegations that the the singer sexually harassed and raped four former housekeepers, calling them “vile” and indicating that they will be seeking a dismissal of the lawsuit against the Motown icon.
In a statement to Rolling Stone sent Wednesday, attorney Christopher Frost said that as the case unfolds, evidence “will show that this is simply an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon — $50 million, to be exact.” The lawyer accused the plaintiff’s legal team of using “bizarre theatrics” during a news conference Tuesday and of making “vile, false allegations against Mr. and Mrs. Robinson” in an attempt to “enlist the public as an unwitting participant in the media circus they are trying to create.” (Robinson’s wife, Frances, was named as a co-defendant in the lawsuit under claims of promoting a hostile work environment, negligence, and intentional and negligent emotional distress.)
Frost asked those following the case “to reserve judgment as the evidence comes to light” and said that they will be addressing “the numerous aspects of the complaint that defy credulity as well as issues relating to purported timelines, inconsistencies, and relationships between the plaintiffs and others.”
“We will also be asking the Court to address that in their statements to the press about Mr. Robinson, the plaintiff’s attorneys have reached beyond the bounds of liberties that even lawyers are typically allowed in this context,” Frost continued. The lawyer added that they would have more to say in the coming days and that Robinson will be responding to the allegations in his own words, but did not specify when.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles, four women alleged that the soul singer and producer isolated them at his homes in the San Fernando Valley and Las Vegas and forced them into sexual contact despite their protests. The lawsuit included claims for sexual assault, sexual battery, false imprisonment, and gender violence against Robinson.
“Obviously, no amount of money can compensate these women for what Mr. Robinson subjected them to, but given the gravity of Mr. Robinson’s despicable and reprehensible misconduct, that is further detailed in the complaint, this amount is clearly warranted,” lawyer John W. Harris said at the press conference.
Three of the Jane Does say they were unwilling to report the alleged abuse because they were afraid of losing their jobs and possible “adverse” outcomes related to their immigration status. They were “intimidated” by Robinson’s “well-recognized celebrity status and his influential friends and associates,” the lawsuit states.
