LOS ANGELES - Motown legend Smokey Robinson filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing four former housekeepers of defamation, and they accused him of sexual assault and abuse in the lawsuit earlier this month.

Robinson's attorney also filed a motion in the Los Angeles Superior Court to attempt to dismiss his complaint, which was believed to have been filed under a false name.

Robinson, 85, was prosecuted by four women identified in court documents in early May, just like Jane 1-4. They accused Robinson of assaulting them while he was a low-paying housekeeper at his home in Chatsworth, a suburb of Los Angeles.

Robinson denied the allegations.

A law enforcement source told NBC News that in addition to seeking civil lawsuits of no less than $50 million, Robinson was under criminal investigation two weeks ago. No fees were filed.

Robinson's lawsuit against four women alleges that the butler was treated "cooperatively, even family, attitude" and never suspected of any abuse when hiring.

They first demanded $100 million before filing the lawsuit, Robinson's lawyer wrote in a cross-approval.

"The plaintiff filed the lawsuit when the Robinsons resisted the request for blackmail," the lawsuit said. The lawsuit claimed that the subsequent public statement against the Robinsons was wrong.

"The plaintiff has no right to create a press conference media circus and use the platform to slander Robinson," the lawsuit reads.

John Harris, one of their attorneys, said the women, three of whom appeared in a May 6 press conference wearing masks to protect their identities, said they did not speak earlier because they were afraid of losing their paychecks and were embarrassed.

The women's lawsuit is against Robinson and his wife Frances Robinson. Frances Robinson knew about the alleged abuse, their lawyer said.

The lawsuit claims that from May 2014 to February 2020, Smoky Robinson attacked at least one woman, usually in a place where there were no security cameras in his home.

The lawsuit says he beat another former employee at least 20 times during his 12 years working for him in 2012. According to the suit, Robinson will force her into his bedroom and perform a "ritual" to get his bathroom out of naked or nearly naked.

According to the lawsuit, Robinson then placed a towel on the bed to prevent the linen from being dirty “because of what is going to happen.”

The lawsuit says he did the same thing with the other two plaintiffs. A former butler worked at Robinson for 13 months, during which time he attacked her at least seven times.

Robinson's defamation lawsuit was appointed as "Four Janes", Harris and his law firm, among others.

It picked out the use of "serial rapist" and "continuous cases" by Harris in a May 6 press conference.

"We believe Mr. Robinson is a serial and sick rapist and must stop," Harris said in a press conference.

Harris said on another point: “We have reason to believe that this behavior has been around for years and I think we are quite confident that he is a serial attacker given the allegations.”

Harris and his law firm partner, Herbert Hayden of Harris & Hayden, Los Angeles, called Robinson’s libel lawsuit “just a survivor of sexual assault and assault in attempts to silence and intimidate Mr. Robinson.”

"This is a baseless, defensive legal manipulation designed to re-promote, divert blame and prevent others from stepping up," Harris and Harris and Hayden said in a statement to the lawsuit on Wednesday.

They said they will file a motion to California’s “strategic litigation against public participation” or SLAPP’s lawsuit.

Robinson is a record, production and songwriting legend known for “You really got to the point of me,” “Ooo Baby Baby,” and “The track of my tears.”

Robinson's legal lawsuit seeks to lose no less than $500 million. It accused claims of defamation, intentional emotional distress, and privacy violations.