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The four women accusing Motown Legend Smokey Robinson of sexual misconduct in a $50 million lawsuit may remain anonymous as the cases move forward.
The judge determined on Thursday, September 11th that all former employees on the planet who allegedly had been sexually abused could follow like Jane. The decision comes after Robinson filed a complaint filed in May, and his lawyer told the court that their pseudonyms make it difficult for the defense to summon witnesses, according to Rolling Stone.
“We are extremely pleased that the court has denied the Robinsons’ allegations of filing client complaints and confirmed their right to remain anonymous through these cases,” plaintiffs’ attorney John Harris said in a statement she shares with people. “This ruling protects Jane’s privacy and safety, and ensures that one to four people can continue to seek justice without fear of retaliation or public exposure. We will continue to defend vigorously on their behalf, so that their voices will be heard as they spend their day in court.”
Judge Kevin C. Brazil told the court that he thought the woman’s identity didn’t need to be revealed “early in this case,” according to Rolling Stone, but that he said “maybe later.” He has set a trial date for October 11th, 2027.
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Christopher Frost, the lawyer for 85-year-old Robinson, reportedly told the court that Jane Doe 3 was a sister to Jane Doe 2 and brought Jane Doe 2 years after he was allegedly attacked by a star.
“It’s a kind of information they want to hide,” Frost reportedly claimed in court.
Robinson was sued by a woman on May 6th. In the complaints, the four Janes claim that the Grammy Award winner “forced fingers and penis repeatedly into the vagina, causing severe and unbearable pain. They also insisted that he would stop them from leaving in suspected attacks, such as “a threat of physical barriers, force, and power.”
Francis, the wife of “My Tears Track” singer, whom he married in 2002, was also named in the complaint. The plaintiffs allegedly “prevented deviant misconduct” by claiming that they had “full knowledge of previous acts of sexual misconduct” and that they “didn’t take appropriate corrective action” and “prevented deviant misconduct” by allegedly experiencing women similar to other women in order to “prevent deviant misconduct.”
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A few weeks after their initial application, Robinson and Francis filed a $500 million cross-complete, which they said they had filed “free and defamatory allegations” at a press conference, denounced the four women who slandered the singer and their lawyers.
At the press conference in question, Harris declared Robinson a “sequential and sick rapist” when he spoke to the accuser wearing sunglasses and a mask to protect his identity.
In his cross-completion, Robinson claimed that he “will have no choice but to seek legal relief” for “defensible statements,” and that he always treated women as “a large family.”
In the first complaint, all four women claimed they had resigned from their roles due to alleged misconduct by Robinson. The plaintiffs allegedly failed to report Robinson’s alleged abuse to authorities because they feared they would lose their livelihood, family retaliation, the shame, shame and humiliation of the people, and because they felt “intimidated and threatened” by the artist’s celebrity status.
Robinson said he was doing something “great” in a conversation with TMZ on September 5th.
“If it happens to me, it’s happening to everyone, so it happens at a great time and it’s a bull,” he said. “So I’m fine. I didn’t think it would (affect my legacy). People know me, man.”
