Motown icon Smokey Robinson is embroiled in a heated legal battle, filing a $500 million defamation countersuit on May 28 against four former housekeepers who accused him of sexual assault. The women,

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department has opened an investigation into criminal allegations against Smokey Robinson after four of his former staffers accused him of sexual assault.

The criminal investigation adds serious weight to accusations that Robinson forced employees into compromising situations involving bathing rituals and inappropriate physical contact. Court documents detail allegations that the Tracks of My Tears singer exploited his position of power over women who depended on their employment for survival.