Smokey Robinson calls sexual assault allegations 'vile and false'; say $50 million lawsuit is an attempt to 'extort money'

Legendary singer Smokey Robinson has strongly denied recent sexual assault allegations against him, calling them “vile” and “false” in an official statement released Wednesday.

The singer's statement comes a day after four women filed a lawsuit accusing him of misconduct. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, attorney Christopher Frost, who is representing Robinson and his wife, Frances Robinson, dismissed the lawsuit as a blatant attempt to extort money from the music icon.

“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,” said Frost while also criticising what he described as a “bizarre” and “theatrical” press conference. He also accused the alleged victims of using the media to manipulate public opinion.

Frost further stated that he plans to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, citing what he described as “numerous aspects of the complaint that defy credulity,” including questionable timelines, inconsistencies, and connections among the plaintiffs.

Four former housekeepers of Robinson allege in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that the Motown music star repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped them while they worked for him.

“We believe that Mr. Robinson is a serial and sick rapist, and must be stopped,” the women's attorney John Harris said at a news conference.

The four women each say that Robinson would wait until he was alone with them in his Los Angeles house then sexually assault and rape them over their objections. All said they eventually quit over the assaults, though in some cases it took several years. And all said they feared coming forward over fears of retaliation, public shame and possible effects on their immigration status.

All four women withheld their legal names citing privacy concerns and are identified as Jane Does in court documents. They appeared at the news conference with their attorneys, but did not speak, and covered their faces with masks.

The lawsuit also names Robinson's wife Frances Robinson as a defendant, alleging that she enabled his behavior despite knowing about past sexual misconduct. It also blames her for the hostile work environment, saying she berated them with language that included ethnic slurs.

Robinson, a celebrated figure in American music history, is best known as the frontman of The Miracles and for his role in shaping the Motown sound.