Smokey Robinson Alleges Storage Unit Theft by Former Employee

Motown legend Smokey Robinson and his wife, Frances Robinson, have filed a temporary restraining order against a former employee, alleging she unlawfully accessed and removed thousands of dollars’ worth of personal property from a family-owned self-storage unit.

According to court filings, the woman is one of several individuals identified anonymously as “Jane Doe” plaintiffs in a separate, ongoing sexual assault civil lawsuit against Robinson. The Robinsons claim that after the woman’s employment ended, she retained a key to their storage unit and later entered the facility without permission, removing personal items belonging to the family.

The filing states that while surveillance cameras captured someone entering the unit during the relevant time period, the footage was too blurry to clearly identify the individual. The Robinsons say the lack of usable video evidence complicated efforts to immediately determine who accessed the unit, prompting further review of access records and key control.

The Robinsons deny the allegations made against them in the broader lawsuit and argue the restraining order is necessary to prevent further unauthorized access or contact. Attorneys for the Jane Doe plaintiff have disputed the Robinsons’ claims, calling them retaliatory and unrelated to the underlying legal action.

No criminal charges related to the alleged storage-unit theft have been filed as of press time, and the matter remains under review by the court.