Smokey Robinson and his wife, Frances Robinson, have filed a $500 million countersuit against the four women who sued him earlier this month accusing the music icon of sexual assault.
In the cross-complaint, filed on Wednesday by the Robinsons’ attorney, Christopher Frost, and obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Robinson accuses the Jane Does of of defamation, slander, intentional infliction of emotional distress, financial elder abuse and invasion of privacy, among other claims.
“The Robinsons did not abuse, harm, or take advantage of Plaintiffs; they treated Plaintiffs with the utmost kindness and generosity,” the suit said. “Unfortunately, the depths of Plaintiffs’ avarice and greed knows no bounds.”
The cross-complaint claims that the “plaintiffs asked for and accepted help from the Robinsons, including several thousands of dollars, monetary support for members of at least one Plaintiff’s family, clothes, dental surgery and even a car” over the years. But at the time when “the Robinsons were being extraordinarily generous,” the suit said, “plaintiffs were concocting an extortionate plan to take everything from the Robinsons and wrongfully destroy the Robinsons’ well-built reputations.”
Robinson’s suit come about three weeks after the four anonymous women, who worked for him as housekeepers, sued the famed Motown singer and record producer for sexual assault and rape allegations. In the complaint, the anonymous women accuse Robinson of raping them at several of his residences, most primarily at his home in Chatsworth, California. The listed causes of action include negligence, sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment and a hostile work environment, among other claims.
Frances was also named as a defendant in the suit, with the women claiming that she “failed to take the appropriate corrective action to prevent Defendant Robinson’s deviant misconduct.”
Robinson denied the allegations, calling them “vile” and “false,” with Frost previously saying, “the evidence will show that this is simply an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon — $50 million dollars, to be exact.”
Robinson’s cross-complaint calls the women’s claims “fabricated,” adding that the women “paraded themselves in front of the media” at their May 6 press conference with help from their attorneys.
“When pre-litigation demands for $100 million or more did not work, Plaintiffs created a media circus and made a public spectacle of themselves,” the suit said.
Robinson’s countersuit also accuses the women of hiding, concealing and destroying evidence “exposing their illegal scheme.” In one example, the suit claims “one Plaintiff took Ms. Robinson’s cell phone and deleted all their text exchanges, photos and identifying information.”
In another instance, the suit claims Frances discovered several of her financial records (including bank statements) were missing and that “at least one Plaintiff had access to and knew exactly where these records were kept.” The cross-complaint also states that another Plaintiff knew “where the Robinsons’ valuables were kept, including a hidden safe and gold Krugerrands,” and that it was later stolen. The Robinsons reported the theft to the police, according to the suit.
In a separate motion filed Wednesday, the Robinsons’ attorney sought to dismiss the initial suit brought by the women.
THR has reached out to attorney John W. Harris, who represents the four women, for comment.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department later announced that it had opened a criminal investigation into the sexual assault allegations against Robinson. Authorities said the investigation was in “the early stages” at the time.
