Smokey Robinson Can’t Unmask His Rape Accusers — Yet

A judge ruled that the former housekeepers accusing Smokey Robinson of rape can stay anonymous at this stage of the lawsuit, which is scheduled to go to trial in 2027.

During a hearing in Los Angeles court on Thursday (Sept. 11), the 85-year-old Motown singer lost his bid to unmask four women who sued him for rape under “Jane Doe” pseudonyms earlier this year. While Robinson knows the names of these women, who allege they were assaulted while working as his housekeepers, the singer and his lawyers are not currently allowed to reveal the women’s identities to the public.

Robinson vehemently denies raping the women and has countersued them for defamation. His attorneys have also been trying to win the case in the court of public opinion — and say de-anonymizing them is key to that endeavor.

“They want to make a very public situation out of this, and then they want to hide the ugly facts, the contradictory facts,” Robinson’s chief lawyer, Christopher Frost, told Judge Kevin C. Brazile on Thursday.

Frost said his team has learned information that bears on the credibility of the plaintiffs — including that two of them are sisters — and added it’s not fair that he’s unable to fully share these details with the public. But Judge Brazile was unconvinced.

“For now, this early on in this case, I don’t think their identities need to be revealed,” said the judge. “Maybe later… For now, let’s just keep it status quo. I’m not saying it’s going to stay that way throughout the whole litigation.”

The women’s lawyers did not address the court during Thursday’s hearing, but attorney John Harris told Billboard in a statement afterward that they’re “very pleased” with the decision.

“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,” said Harris. “We will continue to advocate vigorously on their behalf and ensure that their voices are heard when they have their day in court.”

Judge Brazile said he’ll likely allow an exception to this rule of anonymity so that Robinson’s lawyers can use the women’s names on witness subpoenas. He also noted that the plaintiffs’ identities will come out when the case goes to trial in October 2027.

The 2027 trial date is new as of Thursday’s hearing. Though two years seems far away, it’s actually sooner than the three-year average wait time for trials in Judge Brazile’s courtroom. The judge sped the timeline up slightly due to Robinson’s advanced age — though Frost said the singer is “in better shape than I am.”

“You say Mr. Robinson is in good health and that’s great, but three years is a long time,” Judge Brazile told Frost in explaining his decision to expedite the case.

The bitter legal fight began in May, when the former housekeepers filed a $50 million civil lawsuit claiming Robinson forced them to have oral and vaginal sex in his bedroom dozens of times between 2007 and 2024.

The four Jane Does then made a police report to Los Angeles criminal authorities, followed by a fifth woman two months later. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is still investigating the matter and has not filed any charges.  

Robinson maintains that he never touched these women, and that they concocted false claims out of an “extortionate scheme” to win settlement money. While legal claims are shielded from defamation liability, Robinson’s countersuit says the women and their lawyers also disparaged him at a press conference when the lawsuit was filed.

This story was updated on Sept. 11 at 5:06 p.m. ET to add a statement from the plaintiffs’ lawyer.