Smokey Robinson files $500 million defamation lawsuit against accusers

Smokey Robinson and his lawyers filed a $500 million countersuit accusing four former housekeepers, who sued him for sexual abuse earlier in May, of defamation, among other allegations.

In the complaint filed against Robinson, the four women, identified as Jane Does, alleged that he repeatedly sexually assaulted them at his Chatsworth home. They also accused Robinson's wife Frances Robinson of failing to take action to prevent the allegations. 

"We believe that Mr. Robinson is a serial and sick rapist, and must be stopped," attorney John Harris said on May 6. "I will not describe the details of the sexual assaults and rapes because they are too graphic and disturbing for this news conference."

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department launched an investigation into the allegations against Robinson after his accusers filed a report.

"It is clear to us what is happening here," Robinson's attorney Christopher Frost said. "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."   

Robinson's lawyers described the lawsuit, which seeks $50 million in damages, as an "extortionate plan" in their cross-complaint, which also accuses the women of elder abuse, civil conspiracy and emotional distress. 

"Unfortunately, the depths of Plaintiffs' avarice and greed knows no bounds," Robinson's lawyers wrote. "During the very time that the Robinsons were being extraordinarily generous with Plaintiffs, Plaintiffs were concocting an extortionate plan to take everything from the Robinsons ... and wrongfully destroy the Robinsons' well-built reputations."

The Motown legend's legal team also filed a motion to dismiss the women's initial lawsuit. His attorneys argued that the women filed their complaint "under a fictitious name."

The women's attorneys, Harris and Herbert Hayden, described the countersuit as "an attempt to silence and intimidate survivors of Mr. Robinson's sexual battery and assault."

"It is a baseless and vindictive legal maneuver designed to re-victimize, shift blame and discourage others from coming forward," the attorneys wrote in a joint statement. "This type of retaliatory litigation is precisely what California's anti-SLAPP laws were enacted to prevent."

A SLAPP suit or Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation, is a legal maneuver meant to dissuade critics from producing negative publicity, according to Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute. 

"People bring SLAPP suits because they can either temporarily prevent their critics from making public statements against them or more commonly to make critics spend all of their time and resources defending the SLAPP suits," Cornell's Legal Information Institute wrote. 

The ACLU said SLAPP suits "intimidate the target in order to discourage them and others from speaking out."

Harris and Hayden said they will file an anti-SLAPP motion against Robinson's cross-complaint.