Motown legend Smokey Robinson is facing explosive allegations this week—not from tabloids or industry rivals, but from four women who once cleaned his homes. These aren't just headline-grabbing charges—they’re about power, race, labor, and silence.
According to a civil lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, four Latina women say the 85-year-old singer raped and sexually assaulted them repeatedly over years while they worked as housekeepers in his homes in LA, Las Vegas, and Ventura County. They accuse Robinson’s wife, Frances, of turning a blind eye—and at times, allegedly berating them with racially charged insults.
The women say they were paid below minimum wage, denied breaks, and that they feared speaking out because of their undocumented status. They’re now seeking $50 million in damages. Robinson’s attorney calls the lawsuit ‘vile’ and ‘false,’ accusing the women of trying to exploit an American icon.
But here’s where it hits deeper: These aren’t just accusations against a celebrity. They raise questions about how race, gender, and immigration intersect when abuse happens behind closed doors. Smokey Robinson’s voice was a cornerstone of Black cultural power—but if these claims hold, then that legacy is stained by silence and exploitation of the most vulnerable.
And we’ve seen this pattern before—where immigrant women, Black domestic workers, and low-wage laborers get violated by people with money, fame, and influence—and the system either looks the other way or moves too slow to protect them.
This case isn’t just about Smokey Robinson. It’s about who gets protected, who gets punished—and who we choose to believe when our cultural icons are the ones accused.
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