Smokey Robinson has filed a $500 million cross-complaint against his four former housekeepers, alleging defamation and elder abuse after they sued him for sexual harassment and rape. The 85-year-old Motown legend claims the women, who had previously received substantial gifts and were treated as family during their employment, conspired with their lawyer to fabricate their claims for extortion. “The only sinister acts that occurred here were those of plaintiffs and their counsel by slandering the Robinsons’ good names and reputations,” the new cross-complaint states. The lawsuit by the housekeepers, seeking $50 million in damages, alleges instances of rape and sexual assault, with some citing fear of job loss and immigration-related consequences as reasons for not reporting the abuse earlier. Robinson’s lawyer, Christopher Frost, has previously stated that the housekeepers’ lawsuit was based on “vile, false allegations.” (Rolling Stone)
