Judge Finds “Systematic Sexual Coercion” In Smokey Robinson Case, Allows Lawsuit To Proceed

Smokey Robinson’s attempt to dismiss sexual harassment claims just got shut down by a Los Angeles judge who found the allegations credible.

Smokey Robinson just got hit with a major legal setback that’s going to make his legal team work overtime.

A Los Angeles County judge ruled Monday that the Motown legend can’t dismiss sexual harassment and labor claims from two women who used to work for him, and the decision opens the door for their case to move forward.

Judge Kevin Brazile sided with the accusers, finding that California’s newly extended lookback window for sexual assault claims could apply to their allegations of hostile work environments and unpaid wages.

The two women, identified as Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 5, stopped working for Smokey Robinson and his wife in 2020 and 2011, respectively.

Robinson’s legal team had argued that because so much time had passed, the claims were too old to pursue under the statute of limitations.

His lawyer, Shir Davidovicz, pushed hard at the hearing, claiming the women failed to show they were directly prevented from filing their employment claims within the three-year window.

But the judge wasn’t buying it.

What made the difference was the judge’s finding that there was “systematic sexual coercion” and “a pervasive pattern of coercive sexual abuse” happening at the Robinson homes in the San Fernando Valley and Las Vegas.

The court noted the unique power dynamic between the parties and found that the women had sufficiently alleged a basis for potentially overcoming the limitations bar.

According to Rolling Stone, the judge wrote that the women’s claims of coercive sexual abuse could have prevented them from investigating their wage rights.

Smokey Robinson and his legal team aren’t backing down, though.

Christopher Frost, another lawyer for the Robinsons, released a statement saying they’d continue to vigorously defend against what he called “malicious allegations” and pursue their own lawsuit against the plaintiffs.

The 86-year-old and his wife have already countersued the women for defamation and elder abuse.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has been investigating the claims, and the judge’s ruling Monday essentially keeps the door open for Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 5 to continue pursuing their case despite the time that has passed since they stopped working for Robinson.

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