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Yuval Raphael knows she has her work cut out for her. Israel’s entry into the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest is slated to take the stage on for Thursday’s (May 15) second semi-final round amid tensions around the country’s participation in the global singing competition in the midst of its ongoing war in Gaza.
The 24-year-old tells Billboard she’s ready for whatever comes her way: “Every one of us is experiencing difficult times and none of us are immune to it.”
Raphael is a survivor of the Oct. 7, 2023 Nova Festival massacre in Israel, which was part of a surprise attack in which Hamas raiders murdered more than 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped 250 men, women and children in an assault that set off the now year-and-a-half-long war between Israel and the militant group. (Before talking with Billboard, per competition rules, Raphael’s team stressed that the singer could not answer questions about her escape from the Nova massacre or comment on the war in any fashion.)
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The singer won her spot at Eurovision by coming out on top in Israeli reality talent show Hakohav Haba (Rising Star); her uplifting anthem, “New Day Will Rise,” is her first professional effort after a lifetime of singing in her bedroom. “In my heart I knew that it was going to happen and I used to imagine big stages… but now, doing it professionally feels like a dream come true,” she tells Billboard in a WhatsApp chat.
She sings the song in French, Hebrew and English, the latter because, she says, English is an international language she thinks will help audiences connect with the lyric. “I wanted the message to be out there and understood,” she says of the soaring track on which she sings, “New day will rise, life will go on/ Everyone cries, don’t cry alone/ Darkness will fade, all the pain will go by/ But we will stay, even if you say goodbye.”
Looking for a spot in Saturday’s (May 17) finale, Raphael says the song’s strong message of hope will connect with audiences, pointing to the chorus line about crying as the key to its emotional punch. “Crying is not a bad thing, it’s a way of expressing your emotions and letting everything out instead of keeping it inside,” she says. “And crying with someone else or someone that relates to your grief is something that is so healing… hopefully they’ll take the message of embracing each other and bringing hope to each other.”
As with many Eurovision entries, “New Day Will Rise” is full of uplifting lyrics, soaring emotion and a broad message. Raphael will deliver it from inside a huge silver spiral staircase structure on a massive set featuring video of a cascading waterfall (which is on the somewhat subtle side for the show’s typically way over-the-top production).
British author Chris West, who wrote the 2017 book Eurovision! A History of Modern Europe Through the World Greatest Song Contest — which looked at the sometimes wacky song contest’s intersection with political, cultural and social movements over the past sixty-plus years — tells Billboard that despite event organizer European Broadcasting Union’s insistence that the event remain non-political, it’s inevitable that world events get reflected in its mirror-ball gaze.
“Eurovision makes a big thing about it not being political,” he says, not surprised that the Israeli delegation is sensitive to any hint of mixing events on the ground in the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza with Raphael’s performance. He notes that in 2022 audiences were clearly behind Ukrainian group Kulash’s Orchestra’s run to the top with the song “Stefania” just weeks after Russia launched its unprovoked war on the nation. In 2024, there were also calls for a boycott of Eurovision over the inclusion of an Israeli singer.
Last week, more than 70 former Eurovision contestants signed a petition once again calling on organizers to ban Israel from the competition. West says there is a history of current events impacting Eurovision. In 2021, Belarus was suspended after their song “Ya nauchu teya,” as well as a replacement track, were deemed to have violated the contest’s rules about political messages; in 2022, Russia was denied entry over its invasion of Ukraine.
Last year’s entry from Israel, Eden Golan — who had to change her song title from “October Rain” to “Hurricane” after complaints that it was viewed as a thinly veiled message about the Gaza war — said she received death threats and was booed when she sang. That reaction is something Raphael has said she expects to hear when she sings on Thursday in Switzerland, where she lived for several years as a child.
“It’s pretty unusual to be booed,” West says, adding that it did happen in 2014 when Russia’s entry, the Tolmachevy Sisters, were hit with boos during the semi-finals, seemingly in response to Russia’s invasion of Crimea that year. “It’s always been political in my view, but probably getting more political as its profile rises,” he says. “In Europe, the perception of Eurovision as a joke is over, and people take it more seriously — and as it is taken more seriously, the political aspects will matter more.”
Though she’s barred from discussing it, Raphael’s story is one of the most unusual in Eurovision history. She was nearly killed when Hamas gunmen stormed into Israel on Oct. 7 while she was attending her first outdoor rave. The singer and her friends sprinted to a bomb shelter, with nearly 50 people trying to cram into the small concrete bunker as assailants fired gunshots and lobbed grenades at them.
An Israeli documentary about the mass killing featured a recording of Raphael calling her father in a panic, asking him for help as he counseled her to “play dead.” The tactic allowed her to be one of fewer than a dozen survivors in the shelter, as she hid under a pile of bodies for nearly eight hours until her rescue — on a day when nearly 400 other Nova attendees were killed.
A student of past Israeli Eurovision singers such as 2015 entry Nadav Guedj (“Golden Boy”), as well as 2018’s winning artist, Netta (“Toy”), and 2023’s Noa Kirel (“Unicorn”), Raphael says she reached out to Golan for advice on how to deal with the agita surrounding her participation and the expected push-back from protesters.
“I think the best way of dealing with all the noises is reminding yourself that there is a sole purpose to this contest, which is to bring honor to your country and give a good and honorable performance,” she says — noting that her mother, her biggest supporter, is always by her side. She’s already encountered some of that resistance when demonstrators shouted at her and flew Palestinian flags during Sunday’s turquoise carpet event in Basel, Switzerland, where this year’s edition is being held.
“This competition has such an amazing slogan, ‘United By Music,’” she says. And though she’s not allowed to reference her dramatic backstory, Raphael thinks the song does it for her. “That is the beauty in music: Anyone can take it to their heart and relate to it in your way,” she says. “My song has such a strong message, and hopefully it will [reach as many people as possible] — so I’m very, very excited to be sending that message all over the world.”
At the end of the interview, dropping her on-message mode briefly, Raphael has a final message she feels compelled to share — just hours before the last known living American hostage, Edan Alexander, was reunited with his family after more than 18 months in captivity.
“The hostages should have been home a very long time ago — and hopefully until we’re back, everyone will be home,” she says, in reference to the approximately 58 Israeli hostages that are still in Gaza as the competition kicks off in earnest.
There will be 37 countries participating in this year’s competition, which you can stream on Peacock beginning with Tuesday’s (May 13) first semi-final at 3 p.m. ET. The Grand Final will air on Saturday (May 17) beginning at 3 p.m. ET.
Listen to “New Day Will Rise” below.
Qidere “LGP QUA” Johnson was shot and killed in Philadelphia on Mother’s Day in what authorities are saying was a robbery gone wrong.
The Philadelphia Police Department confirmed to ABC News that the 30-year-old artist, who was also outspoken about gun violence and promoted positivity, was shot multiple times a little after 4:40 p.m. in the Juanita Park neighborhood. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly before 5 p.m. Law enforcement is currently searching for three men who may be linked to the fatal shooting, and is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and a conviction in the case.
“His life will never be in vain with me,” QUA’s publicist, Nikki Bagby, told ABC 6 Action News. “I am heartbroken because people knew QUA as a rapper, but people didn’t know him as a community advocate. Literally, he was the voice of the youth.”
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The young rapper was known as the “Voice of the Youth” because of the honest way he approached street life in his music. The rapper decided to rebrand himself as a positive influence after spending time in prison.
Media personality Mina “SayWhat” Llona, who has interviewed LGP multiple times, spoke with ABC 6 Action News about Johnson’s death. “It’s heartbreaking, it’s just not enough words and I think people are just tired,” she told the news outlet. “You know, we’re tired of saying ‘rest in peace,’ we’re tired of it being the same story and the same narrative. We’re losing young people that are very talented.”
She noted that it’s unfortunate that even someone as positive as Johnson is vulnerable to gun violence. “A young guy not saying those things, being positive,” she said. “You know, giving people inspiration and even he is susceptible to some of the things that our youth are dealing with right now, and it’s just sad.”
Meek Mill was also disappointed when heard the news, taking to his Instagram Stories to make a statement. “Killing ambitious young bulls like this on Mother’s Day is a Philly type of thing,” the Philly rapper said. “S—t will make you different. Prayers to your family, and let’s collect some of them guns. S–t sad out here.”
In 2018, LGP QUA was honored by the city and state at his former school, Edward T. Steel Elementary, where he and Puma also donated $10,000.
“Whoever is looking at me getting these awards and certificates, is like, ‘There is hope,’” the rapper said at the event. “They see someone who was on the negative side change and is on the positive side now.”
The school’s principle Jamal Dennis added at the time, “It’s very hard to do a lot of things if you never seen it, Bringing someone in that they can actually see and hear from, that the road is going to be bumpy — things happen in life.”
Lil Wayne has been accused of abuse by his girlfriend, Denise Bidot, who claims the New Orleans native broke up with her on Mother’s Day via text message.
“Breaking up with someone on Mother’s Day is diabolical,” Bidot wrote to her Instagram Story on Sunday (May 11). “Prayers up though. God always pulls me through. Walking with faith.”
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Bidot alleged that Wayne’s team kicked her and her 16-year-old daughter out of his house where they had been living at the time on Sunday (May 11).
“I am just recovering from surgery. I am five weeks out from a whole mommy makeover. I can’t even lift boxes. But this man has his assistants coming to help kick us out today, and broke up with me on Mother’s Day through text,” she claimed in a post to her IG Story. “And her birthday’s next weekend. And I leave to New York this week for all the Sports Illustrated press. When I tell you that I am absolutely unsure on how to even process my emotions.”
She went on to allege in a follow-up video that Wayne “laid a f—ing hand” on her in addition to accusing him of emotional abuse throughout their relationship.
“It’s not just the emotional abuse,” Bidot accused. “This man has actually laid a f—ing hand on me. And I took it. And you know what’s crazy is, they always say we’re so stupid for love, and I thought it was a mistake. But I know other women he’s put his hands on.”
Bidot says she was “uprooted” from New York City to live with Wayne and claimed he had “two girls” being flown in as well as a “plethora” of women on his roster.
“I’ve been nothing but supportive to this man, loved him ‘til the end of the world,” she continued. “But, like, you literally flew me, uprooted me from New York City where I was living, and brought me here for this bulls–t. Like, that’s crazy, you guys. Like, these men really be taking advantage.”
The Sports Illustrated model says she is ready to take legal action, soliciting lawyers to reach out to her as she plans to regroup and take her next steps.
Lil Wayne and Denise Bidot met in 2019 and went public with their relationship in 2020. They appeared to split in 2022 but got back together shortly after.
Billboard has reached out to Lil Wayne’s team for comment.
Johnny Rodriguez, a trailblazing Hispanic figure in country music, has died at the age of 73.
His daughter, Aubry Rodriguez, confirmed her father’s passing in a heartfelt social media post on Friday (May 9). The late Mexican-American singer had entered hospice care earlier in the week, according to Saving Country Music.
“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Johnny Rodriguez, who left us peacefully on May 9th, surrounded by family,” Aubry wrote on Instagram. “Dad was not only a legendary musician whose artistry touched millions around the world, but also a deeply loved husband, father, uncle, and brother whose warmth, humor, and compassion shaped the lives of all who knew him.”
She continued, “We are immensely grateful for the outpouring of love and support from fans, colleagues, and friends during this time of grief.”e
Aubry concluded her tribute by calling her father an “irreplaceable” and an “extraordinary talent,” and requested privacy for the family as they “navigate this painful moment together.”
Born Juan Rodriguez in Sabinal, Texas, in 1951, Rodriguez was discovered at 18 by music promoter Happy Shahan after he was heard singing in a jail cell, where he was briefly held for a minor offense, according to a Ken Burns biography on PBS.org.
Rodriguez’s musical influences ranged from mariachi to honky-tonk, shaped by his South Texas upbringing. “I was drawn to country music because I could relate more to what they were singing about,” he told Burns. “And also it was just like the music of our people. In Mexican music, you have stories. Mexican music and country music said almost the same thing, just in different languages,” he said.
Initially performing under the name Johnny Rogers, Rodriguez played at Alamo Village and soon caught the attention of country stars Bobby Bare and Tom T. Hall. At 21, he moved to Nashville, changed his last name back to Rodriguez, joined Hall’s band as a guitarist, and later signed with Mercury Records.
In the 1970s, Rodriguez achieved scored several No. 1 hits on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart, including “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico” and “You Always Come Back (to Hurting Me).” He was nominated for the Academy of Country Music’s entertainer of the year in 1974 and was featured in the Country Radio Seminar’s New Faces of Country Music show in 1973. In 2007, he was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.
Rodriguez is survived by his daughter, Aubry, whom he shared with his second wife, Debbie McNeely.
Read Aubry’s touching tribute to her father on Instagram here.
An anonymous artist is suing Uproxx for $15 million, claiming the media company’s production director sexually assaulted and harassed her at industry events, including a music festival, as well as at a Miguel video shoot.
In a lawsuit submitted to state court in Los Angeles on Thursday (May 8), the lawyer for a woman going by Jane Doe says she’s the victim of a “sustained campaign of sexual harassment, assault, stalking, fraud and workplace misconduct” by Uproxx creative production director Steven Victor Vasquez Jr.
“Defendants’ actions encompassing coerced sexual encounters, nonconsensual distribution of intimate images and persistent stalking constitute a profound violation of plaintiff’s fundamental rights to bodily autonomy, privacy and professional dignity,” writes Doe’s attorney, James Bohm. “These acts have inflicted severe emotional trauma, physical harm and substantial economic loss.”
Doe, a Phoenix-based artist published by Warner Chappell, allegedly met Vasquez at a February 2024 Grammy brunch event hosted by Uproxx. Warner Music Group (WMG) owned Uproxx at the time but has since sold the entertainment news and production company. (WMG is not named as a defendant in the complaint.)
According to Doe’s attorney, Vasquez lured her into a series of unwanted sexual encounters by promising to secure her collaborations with Uproxx and lucrative deals with brands like Sour Patch Kids, Zillow, Sparkling Ice and McDonald’s.
In June 2024, for example, Vasquez allegedly convinced Doe to attend “The Gorge music festival” (seemingly Beyond Wonderland at The Gorge) with him in Washington state. There, he apparently “pressured her to share a room, plied her with alcohol and psychedelic mushrooms and appeared naked in her bed without consent, committing sexual assault.”
Doe’s lawyer says Vasquez also forced her to look at pornographic images while on a trip to the Dominican Republic and engaged in other inappropriate behavior during an Uproxx event at Howard University and a video shoot for the R&B singer Miguel.
“Vasquez gaslighted plaintiff, accused her of fictitious affairs, attempted to terminate an employee for complimenting her and pressured her for unprotected sex,” writes Bohm.
The lawsuit says Doe tried to cut off contact with Vasquez in December 2024, but he flew to her home in Arizona and demanded sexual favors, leading her to call the Phoenix Police Department. Vasquez continued to harass her with “messages, videos, sexually explicit images and gifts” through April 2025, Doe’s lawyer alleges.
The lawsuit brings a total of 16 claims, including sexual harassment, sexual battery and stalking, and it seeks more than $15 million in damages from both Vasquez and Uproxx.
Bohm declined to comment on the lawsuit Friday (May 9). Vasquez and Uproxx’s representatives did not immediately respond to Billboard’s requests for comment.
A spokesperson for the Phoenix Police Department confirmed to Billboard that it did receive a report about the alleged December 2024 incident but says no arrests were made.
Vic Mensa has come out in support of Kehlani after the singer has seen two of their live shows canceled in recent weeks.
The Chicago rapper shared an open letter on Instagram to the Bay Area singer about her recently canceled SummerStage Central Park.
“Dear Kehlani,” his Wednesday (May 7) post began. “Few artists, and even fewer at your level of success, have chosen to center humanity and courage as boldly and uncompromisingly as you have, let alone at the peak of their popularity. Although newer to religion, I have a deep seated belief that God, or the universe, or however you categorize the all-powerful presence of the divine, is taking note — of every selfless action, of every sacrifice, of every time we jeopardize our security to do what’s right. I toe the line with you.”
He continued on by sharing that he sometimes has been reluctant to speak up because he didn’t want to lose opportunities.
“I lost a lot,” he wrote. “I’ll be honest. But, perhaps out of necessity, I have to choose to believe that when the smoke clears, I’ll look at my past with pride; I wasn’t perfect, but I forged myself out of fire. I took the hard road. I’ve been awe inspired by the way you’ve stood up. Especially at a time when I fell back and I asked myself, ‘Although, I need to feed my son, what kind of man do I want to inspire him to be?’”
Vic then brought up his Muslim faith and commended Kehlani for their sacrifice and bravery. “The highest form of sadaqah, or charity, is that which is given in health, and with much loved wealth,” he wrote. “When we give, not what we don’t need, but what we need most, the reverberation is supreme.”
He added, “I have often thought about your choices over the last 18 months. Wished I was more brave and more self sufficient. The truth is, your people love you. Not because of an opportunity provided to you by a booker here, or a city there, but because they cherish the depth of your soul. None of this can change that. As long as you have them you can never lose. The powers that be may be great, but I do believe we can all agree — there is a greater power.”
In response to Cornell University canceling their show, Kehlani reiterated that she isn’t antisemitic or antisemitic — she’s anti-genocide. When it came to the SummerStage cancellation, the musician responded with “lol” on Instagram Stories and added that they found out about the cancellation on IG.
The “Afterhours” artist has been open about her support for Palestine in the Israel-Hamas war. In 2023, they — along with numerous other musicians called for a ceasefire when signing the Artists Against Apartheid letter. Her 2024 music video for “Next 2 U” also featured dancers waving Palestinian flags.
When Donald Trump finally visits the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center next month to attend his first-ever show at the beloved Washington, D.C. cultural institution he will be treated to a performance of the musical Les Misérables that will be missing a number of key players. According to CNN, at least 10-12 of the show’s performers are expected to skip the June 11 performance Trump will reportedly attend on the same night as a high-dollar fundraiser at the Center.
CNN reported that the cast was given the option to not be on stage the night Trump is in the house, with both unnamed “major cast members and members of the ensemble” opting to take a night off in the midst of the Trump administration’s aggressive makeover of the venue. As part of his government-wide slash-and-burn effort to remake Washington his image, Trump installed himself as the chairman of the Kennedy Center with the help of a rebooted board made up entirely of his hand-picked appointees at the institution that has traditionally had a bipartisan mix of board members.
The Les Miz performance will coincide with the fundraiser featuring sponsorship levels selling for as much as $2 million according to ABC News, with the invitation noting that Trump will appear that night as “a special guest and friend of the Kennedy Center”; at press time it was not clear what the funds were being raised for as Trump is constitutionally barred from running for a third term. Trump played songs from the musical about the plight of the impoverished underclass during the French Revolution on stops of his 2016 presidential campaign, upsetting the co-creators of the stage musical, who requested that he stop blasting “Do You Hear the People Sing?” at his rallies.
In a statement to EW, Trump confidant and the Center’s new director, Richard Grenell, said of the reported boycott, “We haven’t heard this rumor. But the Kennedy Center will no longer fund intolerance. Any performer who isn’t professional enough to perform for patrons of all backgrounds, regardless of political affiliation, won’t be welcomed. In fact, we think it would be important to out those vapid and intolerant artists to ensure producers know who they shouldn’t hire — and that the public knows which shows have political litmus tests to sit in the audience.”
The cast boycott is the latest in an unfolding culture war between the Trump administration and some artists who were slated to perform at the Kennedy Center, a number of whom canceled shows in the wake of the Trump takeover. Among those who pulled gigs or resigned from their leadership roles at the Kennedy Center in protest were: Ben Folds, Renee Fleming, Shonda Rhimes, Low Cut Connie, Rhiannon Giddens, Issa Rae, as well as a performance of the Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning Hamilton, the lauded show Trump subsequently criticized, saying “I never liked Hamilton very much.”
Trump raged against the programming at the Center in February in a Truth Social post in which he wrote, “No more drag show, or other anti-American propaganda — Only the best.” In another post, Trump said he wanted to make sure the Kennedy Center “runs properly. We don’t need woke at the Kennedy Center. Some of the shows were terrible. They were a disgrace that they were even put on.”
Days after federal prosecutors dropped Lil Durk’s rap lyrics from his murder-for-hire case, his lawyers say the new “watered-down” charges support his push to be released from jail ahead of trial.
In a court filing Tuesday (May 6), attorneys for the Chicago drill star (Durk Banks) argue that last week’s superseding indictment — which removed not just Durk’s lyrics but also allegations that he ordered a “bounty” payment — has dramatically weakened the case against him.
By removing those elements of the case, Durk’s lawyers say the feds have “effectively conceded” that they presented “false and/or misleading information” in court — both to get the rapper charged in the first place, and to persuade the judge to deny bail.
“With the issues of the lyrics and the payout of a ‘bounty’ altogether abandoned, what remains of the indictment is a weak patchwork of unsupported and non-specific allegations against Mr. Banks,” writes defense attorney Drew Findling. “This watered-down new indictment, coupled with the robust bond package proposed here, tips the balance in favor of Mr. Banks’ release pending trial.”
Durk was arrested in October on murder-for-hire and gun charges over allegations that he ordered members of his Only the Family (OTF) crew to carry out a 2022 attack on rival rapper Quando Rondo that left another man dead.
To back up that claim, the indictment cited lyrics from a song called “Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy” in which Durk allegedly referenced the shooting: “Told me they got an addy (go, go)/ Got location (go, go)/ Green light (go, go, go, go, go),” Durk raps in the track. “Look on the news and see your son/You screamin’, ‘No, no’ (pu–y).”
But Durk’s lawyers sharply pushed back, arguing that “Wonderful Wayne” could not have referenced the Rondo shooting for a simple reason: That the rapper wrote and recorded those verses “seven months before the incident even happened.” Though prosecutors defended the inclusion of the lyrics, an updated version of the indictment released Thursday (May 1) removed them entirely.
In Tuesday’s new court filing, Findling says the lyrics were a “hotly contested” issue at a December hearing in which the judge denied to release him on bail. Now that they’ve been removed entirely, he says the judge must reconsider whether Durk can be released.
“The government absolutely intended that section to illustrate direct involvement in the alleged murder-for-hire and more importantly, the knowledge of Mr. Banks of the alleged offense through some sort of musical confession,” Findling says. “The government has now been proven wrong and has removed the reference, substantially depreciating the weight of the allegations.”
The removal of the bounty claim presents an “even greater” blow to the government’s case, Durk’s lawyers say, and should also help persuade the judge that bail can now be granted: “With the payment of the ‘bounty’ allegation withdrawn from the indictment, the foundation for this court’s conclusions has been materially undercut.”
In previous court filings, prosecutors denied that the removal of elements from the new indictment had weakened or substantially altered the case against Durk: “Just like every iteration of the indictment before it, the [new indictment] contains significant allegations that show defendant’s alleged role in the execution-style murder of [the victim] on a busy street corner in Los Angeles.”
The judge will decide whether to reconsider Durk’s bail in the weeks ahead, potentially holding a court hearing next month. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday (May 7).
Smokey Robinson and his wife have been hit with an explosive new lawsuit that seeks $50 million in damages over claims that the legendary Motown singer repeatedly raped four housekeepers over nearly two decades.
In the suit, filed on Tuesday (May 6) in Los Angeles County Superior Court, four anonymous women say William “Smokey” Robinson Jr. had a habit of forcing housekeepers to have sex with him in the bedroom of his residence, located in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles, between 2007 and 2024.
“Plaintiffs did not consent to defendant Smokey Robinson’s sexual contact or touching,” wrote John W. Harris, an attorney representing the four housekeepers. “Plaintiffs explicitly told defendant Robinson on numerous occasions that they were not interested in his advances and objected to his forceful, physical, sexual and harmful conduct.”
The four women — called Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 2, Jane Doe 3 and Jane Doe 4 in the lawsuit — claim Robinson followed a consistent pattern of assault over the years. The complaint alleges that the 85-year-old R&B singer and record executive would regularly get housekeepers alone in his blue bedroom wearing only his underwear, put a towel down on the bed, and force them to have oral and vaginal sex without a condom.
Jane Doe 1 says Robinson assaulted her in this manner at least seven times while she worked for him between 2023 and 2024. Jane Doe 2 claims she was raped at least 23 times in Robinson’s bedroom, as well as in the house’s laundry room and garage, during her employment with him between 2014 and 2020.
Jane Doe 3, who says she worked as Robinson’s housekeeper from 2012 to 2024, alleges she was assaulted at least 20 times. Jane Doe 4 does not specify how many times she was allegedly raped but says Robinson “would often create a situation” to get her alone and abuse her between 2007 and 2024.
Each of the four women claim they did not report Robinson’s conduct to law enforcement “due to her fear of losing her livelihood, familial reprisal, public embarrassment, shame and humiliation to her and her family, the possible adverse effect on her immigration status, as well as being threatened and intimidated by defendant Smokey Robinson’s well-recognized celebrity status and his influential friends and associates.”
The housekeepers say Robinson’s wife, Frances, shares the blame for these assaults. According to the plaintiffs, Frances Robinson did nothing to protect them, even though she knew her husband had a history of sexual misconduct and that he’d previously struck settlements with alleged assault victims.
The women say Frances also created a hostile work environment by “regularly screaming” and using racial slurs, and that they were paid below minimum wage and did not receive overtime or legally-mandated work breaks.
“Despite having full knowledge of defendant Smokey Robinson’s conduct, defendant Frances Robinson would further perpetuate hostilities towards plaintiffs instead of preventing further harassment and assaults,” writes the housekeepers’ lawyer. “Instead, defendant Frances Robinson, throughout plaintiffs’ employment, berated plaintiffs with derogatory, racially-charged epithets, assign[ed] additional arduous tasks, and forbid plaintiffs from exercising their rights to meals and rest periods.”
The lawsuit brings a total of 16 claims, including sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender violence and negligence. The four housekeepers are seeking at least $50 million in damages from Smokey and Frances for economic, emotional and physical harm.
Representatives for Smokey Robinson did not immediately return requests for comment on Tuesday.
Jay-Z has filed an unusual new allegation in his legal war with attorney Tony Buzbee, accusing the lawyer of ordering employees at his law firm to edit Wikipedia pages in an effort to damage the rapper’s reputation.
The new claim is the latest salvo in a bitter fight that started when Buzbee filed a shocking lawsuit accusing Jay-Z of raping an unnamed girl decades ago. Jay-Z vehemently denied the allegation, which has since been voluntarily dropped, and has blasted Buzbee for allegedly trying to extort him.
In an updated version of an earlier case against Buzbee and his client filed Monday (May 5), Jay-Z is adding an eyebrow-raising new claim: That the lawyer made sneaky edits to Wikipedia as part of his alleged plot to harm the rapper.
“In violation of Wikipedia’s rules, Buzbee directed his employees to edit Wikipedia pages to enhance Buzbee’s image and damage Mr. Carter’s and Roc Nation’s reputations,” Jay-Z’s attorneys write in the amended complaint. “Users with an IP address directly linked to the Buzbee Firm made over 100 positive edits to Buzbee’s Wikipedia page.”
The lawsuit does not elaborate on what exact edits were allegedly made to Wikipedia. Reps for Jay-Z did not immediately return a request for comment.
In a statement to Billboard on Tuesday, Buzbee strongly denied the new allegation and the rest of Jay-Z’s claims: “Most of the pleading is nonsensical. All of it is meritless.”
The case against Jay-Z, filed in December, claimed that he and Sean “Diddy” Combs drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl at an after-party following the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. Jay-Z forcefully denied the allegations, calling them a “blackmail attempt.” After just two months of heated litigation, Doe dropped her case without a settlement payment.
Weeks after the case was dropped, Jay-Z sued both Doe and Buzbee, accusing her of defamation and accusing both of malicious prosecution and other wrongdoing. The lawsuit called it an “evil conspiracy” against the rapper: “The extortion and abuse of Mr. Carter by Doe and her lawyers must stop.”
Buzbee and his client have denied the lawsuit’s allegations and moved to dismiss the case — arguing, among other things, that she cannot be sued for defamation over allegations made as part of a lawsuit.
Beyond the Wikipedia claims, Monday’s new complaint makes several other notable changes to the earlier lawsuit.
The new version of the case now also targets Antigone Curis, a New York attorney who served as co-counsel in the original rape lawsuit against Jay-Z. Naming Curis as a co-defendant, Jay-Z alleges that Buzbee “used Curis” because he himself was not admitted to practice law in Manhattan federal court — an issue that has since come to light in several of Buzbee’s cases against Combs in New York.
“It is clear that Curis joined the conspiracy to extort Mr. Carter, which was hatched in Alabama, and quickly became an integral part of the scheme by using her admission to the [Southern District of New York], weaponizing the civil justice system,” Jay-Z’s attorneys write in the new case.
The lawsuit also includes new claims about the alleged harm caused to Jay-Z by the rape accusation. It says Roc Nation lost contracts in the sports and entertainment space that would have generated at least $20 million; that Jay was personally denied a $55 million personal credit line; and that a company he’s associated with was denied a $115 million loan.
“At trial, plaintiff will present evidence demonstrating how the extortionate scheme, and the false complaint filed in New York, resulted in the loss of business opportunities to Mr. Carter [and] have served to preclude him from new business opportunities,” his attorneys write, before later adding: “Buzbee, Doe, and their co-conspirators must answer for all of this.”