NEED TO KNOW
The four women accusing Motown legend Smokey Robinson of sexual misconduct in a $50 million lawsuit can remain anonymous as the case moves forward — for now.
A judge ruled on Thursday, Sept. 11 that the women — all former employees of the star who claim to have been sexually abused — can continue as Jane Does. The decision comes after Robinson filed a motion to strike their complaint in May, and his lawyer said in court that their pseudonyms were making it difficult for the defense to subpoena witnesses, according to Rolling Stone.
“We are very pleased that the Court has denied the Robinsons’ motion to strike our clients’ complaint and has affirmed their right to remain anonymous throughout these proceedings,” the plaintiffs’ lawyer John Harris said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “This ruling protects the privacy and safety of Jane Does One through Four and ensures that survivors can continue to seek justice without fear of retribution or public exposure. We will continue to advocate vigorously on their behalf and ensure that their voices are heard when they have their day in court.”
Judge Kevin C. Brazile said in court that he doesn’t believe the women’s identities need to be revealed “this early in the case,” but said, “Maybe later,” according to Rolling Stone. He set a trial date for Oct. 11, 2027.
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Christopher Frost, an attorney for Robinson, 85, reportedly told the court that Jane Doe 3 is Jane Doe 2’s sister, and that she brought Jane Doe 2 into the fold years after she was allegedly assaulted by the star.
“That’s the kind of information they want to hide,” Frost reportedly argued in court.
Robinson was sued by the women on May 6. In the complaint, the four Jane Does allege that the Grammy winner “repeatedly forced his fingers and penis into their vaginas, causing severe and excruciating pain” without consent, per the complaint. They also alleged he “physical barriers, force, threats of force” and more to stop them from leaving during the alleged assaults, like locking the door.
The “Tracks of My Tears” singer’s wife Frances, whom he married in 2002, was also named in the complaint, as the plaintiffs allege that she had “full knowledge of his prior acts of sexual misconduct” and “failed to take the appropriate corrective action” to prevent his “deviant misconduct,” even after allegedly settling cases with other women who experienced similar alleged assaults by her husband.
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Weeks after the initial filing, Robinson and Frances filed a $500 million cross-complaint that accused the four women and their legal counsel of defaming the singer at a press conference, saying they made “gratuitous and slanderous allegations.”
During the press conference in question, Harris declared Robinson a “serial and sick rapist” as he spoke beside the accusers, who wore sunglasses and masks to protect their identities.
In his cross-complaint, Robinson claimed he’d had “no choice but to seek legal relief” due to the “slanderous statements,” and said he’d always treated the women as “extended family.”
In the initial complaint, all four women claim to have resigned from their roles because of Robinson’s alleged misconduct. The plaintiffs claim they did not report Robinson’s alleged abuse to authorities due to fear of “losing their livelihood, familial reprisal, public embarrassment, shame and humiliation,” and also because they felt “threatened and intimidated” by the artist’s celebrity status.
Robinson said he was doing “great” in a conversation with TMZ on Sept. 5.
“If it’s gonna happen to me, it happened at a great time because it’s happening to everybody, and it’s bulls—,” he said. “So I’m good. It hasn’t seemed to [affect my legacy]. People know me, man.”
