Smokey Robinson denies 'ugly' sexual assault allegations

In a statement, the singer's lawyer says the abuse allegations are an attempt to "extract money".

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In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, four female housekeepers accused the singer-songwriter of sexual battery including rape, plus false imprisonment and a number of labour violations.

In a statement to the BBC, Robinson's lawyer Christopher Frost called the allegations "vile" and "false".

"As this case progresses, the evidence (the crucial element that guides us) will show that this is simply an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon - $50 million, to be exact," he said.

Robinson was Motown's first hitmaker, writing number one hits like Mary Wells' My Guy and the Temptations' My Girl.