Four women file lawsuit against Smokey Robinson

LOS ANGELES (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Four former housekeepers for singer Smokey Robinson have filed a lawsuit, accusing the Motown legend of repeated sexual assaults.

The suit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles, alleges the assaults took place mostly at Robinson's home in Chatsworth, California.

Representatives for Robinson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.

Three of the four plaintiffs attended an afternoon press conference wearing masks and dark glasses to protect their privacy while a fourth attended remotely.

All four women allege Robinson repeatedly assaulted them over a number of years.

Their lawyer, John Harris, says they did not come forward sooner because they feared missing a paycheck.

"They lacked the resources and options necessary to protect themselves from sexual assault throughout their tenure as employees for the Robinsons.

We have reason to believe that this behavior has existed for many years, and I think, given the allegations, we're fairly confident that he's a serial assaulter.

Our clients, these four courageous women want and demand justice for themselves and the filing of this lawsuit is the first step of their journey to achieve that objective."

John Harris, attorney for the plaintiffs

The plaintiffs are seeking damages totalling no less than $50 million.