AceShowbiz - Smokey Robinson faced a setback on Monday when a Los Angeles County judge refused to dismiss sexual harassment and labor claims filed by two of the five Jane Doe accusers involved in a high-profile lawsuit. The case centers on serious allegations of sexual misconduct and workplace abuses during their time working for the Robinsons.

The Motown icon, aged 86, sought to have the claims of Jane Doe 2 and Jane Doe 5 dismissed on the grounds that the allegations were time-barred. These two women stopped working for the Robinsons in 2020 and 2011, respectively, which Robinson’s legal team argued placed their claims outside the statute of limitations. The other three accusers left the Robinsons’ employment more recently, in 2024, keeping their claims within the allowable legal timeframe.

Smokey Robinson contended that the revived legal window, which permits previously time-barred sexual battery claims to be pursued, did not apply to the accusers’ separate charges of hostile work environment and unpaid wages. His attorney, Shir Davidovicz, emphasized at the hearing that the women had not demonstrated how they were specifically prevented from filing these labor claims within the required three-year period.

"There are no facts [in the complaint] indicating they were directly prevented from filing the employment claims specifically, which was their burden," Davidovicz argued. He further claimed that even if the court allowed an amendment to the lawsuit, it would amount to a fraud on the court given deposition testimonies. He described such a move as merely delaying the inevitable.

In strong opposition, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Herbert Hayden, highlighted a pattern of coercion behind the scenes. "There was systematic sexual coercion, and that would have thwarted any reasonable investigation into wage rights," Hayden asserted. He maintained that the women had clearly alleged a culture of silence imposed by the Robinsons, effectively suppressing any workplace complaints.

Judge Kevin Brazile sided with the accusers, ruling that new California legislation extending the lookback period for sexual assault claims might apply to their case. He deemed it premature to dismiss the claims at this stage without further factual development.

Judge Brazile wrote in his ruling, "Plaintiffs correctly assert that [the new law] may revive these claims. This statute provides a revival window for sexual harassment and wrongful termination claims that arise out of the same underlying course of sexually abusive conduct as a predicate sexual assault offense." He also acknowledged the plaintiffs’ description of a pervasive pattern of coercive sexual abuse and found their allegations sufficient to potentially overcome the statute of limitations defense.

Following the decision, Christopher Frost, another attorney representing the Robinsons, stated that the defense was undeterred. He noted that the court’s ruling only overruled the demurrer for now but reserved judgment until further facts are developed in a different motion. Frost emphasized that the Robinsons continue to vigorously defend themselves against what they describe as malicious allegations and are pursuing their own counterclaims.

The lawsuit, seeking $50 million in damages and filed last May, includes accusations from the first four Jane Does who claim they were sexually assaulted or raped repeatedly while employed by the Robinsons. The alleged incidents reportedly occurred at the Robinsons’ residences in the San Fernando Valley and Las Vegas, with the earliest claim dating back to 2007. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Bureau has confirmed it is investigating the allegations.

Smokey Robinson and his wife have denied all allegations and filed counter-suits against the accusers for defamation and elder abuse. The legal battle continues to unfold as both sides prepare for further proceedings in this complex and closely watched case.