Smokey Robinson Scandals: Affairs, Addiction, & Sexual Assault Allegations

Thurs, May 8, 2025 at 4:33 AM

Smokey Robinson has spent more than six decades shaping Soul, R&B, and what we know as the Motown sound. As the frontman of The Miracles and a key architect of Motown's success, he built a career as a celebrated singer, songwriter, and producer. Robinson wrote and recorded hits like "Shop Around," "The Tracks of My Tears," and "Tears of a Clown," helping push Black music into the mainstream. His work earned him a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and recognition as one of music's most influential voices. Often called "The King of Motown," Robinson is hailed as a legend whose songs molded generations of Black music and pop culture.

Offstage, Robinson has largely maintained a clean public image. Still, his personal life has not been without controversy. He has spoken openly about stepping outside of his marriage, including a highly publicized affair with Diana Ross. Other past relationships have also stirred headlines, adding another layer to his otherwise respected reputation.

Allegations Of Sexual Assault

This month, Robinson and his wife, Frances, found their names on the receiving end of a $50 million lawsuit filed in Los Angeles. Four women, only known at this time as Jane Does 1, 2, 3, and 4, claim they were subjected to gender violence, false imprisonment, sexual battery, negligence, and were victims of labor violations. These reportedly include concerns about breaks, pay, and meals.

"They're Hispanic women who were employed by the Robinsons earning below minimum wage," said John Harris, the lawyer representing the accusers, according to the BBC. "As low-wage women in vulnerable positions, they lacked the resources and options necessary to protect themselves from sexual assaults."

Further, the BBC stated that "three are former housekeepers and one was the singer's personal assistant, cook and hairdresser." Robinson is accused of calling the women at various times to several of his properties. Court documents reportedly mention specific incidents, stating that the alleged sexual assaults began in 2006.

Affair & Family: The Story Of Kandi & Trey

While Robinson has long kept much of his life private, he has openly addressed the affair that ultimately ended his marriage to fellow star of The Miracles, Claudette Rogers Robinson. The pair were married for 27 years, and for two decades, Smokey admitted to carrying on an on-and-off relationship with a woman known publicly only as Kandi. That relationship led to the birth of his son, Trey Robinson, in 1984, while he was still married to Claudette.

The affair strained their union, eventually leading to divorce. Still, Robinson has spoken with deep respect for Claudette, known as the First Lady of Motown, and her response to the situation. Despite the circumstances, Claudette remained on good terms with both Kandi and Trey. According to PEOPLE, Kandi even specified that Claudette should raise Trey if anything happened to her.

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"Most wives wouldn't want anything to do with [Kandi], but I'm telling you, Claudette is a rare sort of beautiful person," the singer said.

Battling Drug Addiction To Crack Cocaine

Though often viewed as one of Motown's cleanest figures, Robinson revealed in his 1989 memoir Smokey: Inside My Life that his personal life unraveled in the mid-1980s. In the years following the end of his marriage and the death of his father, Robinson fell into drug addiction. At 44, he began using crack cocaine, a decision he later described as life-threatening.

"I was dying," he wrote plainly, reflecting on that period. The singer admitted to smoking crack regularly, up to half a gram a day. His health quickly deteriorated. He suffered from depression, frightening heart palpitations, and a deep sense of loss and hopelessness. "Rock cocaine was killing me." He added that it was a "living in hell. I'd look in the mirror, and I didn't know who the cat was looking back at me."

A concerned friend invited him to a local East Los Angeles church where Robinson had a religious experience. The singer was said to have cried in the back of the church for hours and hasn't used anay sort of drugs since that time.

Yearlong Affair With Diana Ross

Many know that Robinson and Diana Ross have been long-time Motown music industry friends, but their relationship actually began when they were children. According to The Guardian, Robinson was 10-years-old when Ross and her family moved into a home down the street. "She's precious to me," he told the outlet. "She's my longest living friend. Oh yeah, she's my babe."

During that same interview, he was asked directly if he and Ross ever attempted to dabble in romance. "Yes, we did," he admitted. It lasted for "about a year. I was married at the time. We were working together and it just happened. But it was beautiful. She's a beautiful lady, and I love her right ['til] today. She's one of my closest people. She was young and trying to get her career together. I was trying to help her." He added, "I brought her to Motown, in fact. I wasn't going after her and she wasn't going after me. It just happened."

Things fizzled when Ross decided to cut of the affair. "After we'd been seeing each other for a while, Diana said to me she couldn't do that because she knew Claudette," said Robinson. "And she knew I still loved my wife. And I did. I loved my wife very much." Ross and Robinson remain good friends.