Legendary Motown singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson has filed a $500 million defamation lawsuit against four former housekeepers who have accused him of sexual assault.

The suit, filed by Robinson and his wife, Frances, on Wednesday in California, claims that the four women fabricated the assault allegations as a way to extort money from the couple, the BBC said.

The former housekeepers filed a civil lawsuit against Robinson, 85, earlier this month, claiming Robinson sexually assaulted them while they worked for him between 2007 and 2024. The suit also accuses him of creating a a hostile work environment, making them work illegally long hours and lack of pay.

The “Tracks of My Tears” singer is also under a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department as a result of the initial lawsuit. Robinson’s lawyers filed a motion in Los Angeles Superior Court looking to have that complaint dismissed.

In his lawsuit, Robinson says that the four women were treated in a “collegial, even familial, manner” and never alleged any abuse in while employed, NBC News reported.

“The Robinsons did not abuse, harm, or take advantage of plaintiffs; they treated plaintiffs with the utmost kindness and generosity,” the lawsuit says.

Robinson was the leader of the chart-topping Motown group Smokey Robinson and the Miracles during the 1960s. He also wrote hits for other Motown acts, including songs like “My Girl,” “My Guy” and “Don’t Mess With Bill.” He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked him at no. 23 on its “200 Greatest Singers of All Time” list.