Smokey Robinson's Personal Life, From Marriages To Diana Ross Affair, After Court Rejects Lawsuit

Smokey Robinson has built a large fan base through his singing over the years. He has been a part of groups like The Miracles and has collaborated with multiple record labels, including Motown, Universal, and more. As a solo artist, Smokey has released multiple albums. Most of them have managed to be on top of the charts, such as A Quiet Storm, Deep in My Soul, Love Breeze, Warm Thoughts, Touch the Sky, and more.

Smokey has recently started trending after the court dismissed his lawsuit against his former employees on April 23, 2026 (ET). The employees, who included four housekeepers, had previously made sexual assault allegations against the artist and his wife, Frances Gladney, in 2025. Judge Kevin C. Brazile has now ruled that Smokey’s countersuit lacked sufficient evidence to support its defamation claims against the employees. While the court’s decision has created headlines, keep reading to know more about Smokey Robinson’s personal life, including his marriages!

Smokey Robinson’s first wife, Claudette Rogers, was a part of the Miracles

Photo credit: Ron Galella/getty

Although a lot of details about Smokey Robinson and Claudette Rogers’s first meeting remain unknown, the latter joined The Miracles in 1957. She contributed to the group as a singer. Smokey and Claudette tied the knot two years later in 1959. During an interview in 2020, Claudette said that the band started with her, and it was initially known as the Matadors and iFive Timesi. Rogers recalled other details from that period and said:

“My brother, Emerson Rogers, was a part of that group. And whenever my brother had a group, like when he was in a group called the Orchids, I became the Orcherettes. And when he became the Matadors, we became a group called the Matadorettes, which was all girls, five girls. We were just local talent, young teenagers. And at that time, it seemed everybody was singing; every household had a group or two. And my brother decided that they weren't really making any progress—weren't going to go professional—so he joined the army.”

Photo credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Back in 2023, Smokey Robinson told The Guardian that he and Claudette were close friends in the beginning. Smokey even admitted that he had a crush on Claudette when he was around 15 years old. The duo divorced in 1986, around 14 years after Claudette left The Miracles in 1972. The split was a result of Smokey’s alleged affairs, which also included Diana Ross.

Smokey Robinson and Diana Ross reportedly had an affair when the former was married to Claudette Rogers

Photo credit: Walter McBride/Corbis via Getty

During his conversation with The Guardian in 2023, Smokey Robinson recalled his childhood, saying that Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross lived on the same street where he grew up. Smokey was 10 years old when Diana moved to the place. Smokey later admitted in the interview that he and Diana had an affair, and it happened when he was married to Claudette Rogers. Smokey described Diana as a “beautiful lady,” adding that she was working to establish her career during those years. Robinson clarified that none of them were going after each other. Addressing the end of the affair, Smokey said:

“After we’d been seeing each other for a while, Diana said to me she couldn’t do that because she knew Claudette, and she knew I still loved my wife. And I did. I loved my wife very much. You asked me what happened when we get older, and we get wisdom in life. I learned that we are capable of loving more than one person at the same time. And it has been made taboo by us. By people.”

Smokey Robinson has been married to Frances Gladney for more than 20 years

Photo credit: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

Smokey Robinson exchanged vows with Frances Gladney in 2002. The duo has an age gap of almost 12 years. Back in 2023, Smokey revealed in an interview with the Associated Press that he and Frances kept their relationship away from the spotlight since the beginning. Notably, the duo also did not want their friends to speak about them. In another conversation with Pittsburgh Quarterly in 2023, Smokey Robinson opened up on how his romance with Frances started, and said:

“Frances and I were on the phone laughing and talking about our birthday party, when I said, ‘Hey, let’s go get some coconut shrimp.’ ‘Sure,’ she said. That was the beginning for us, and I tell her all the time, ‘You do realise that I married you because of coconut shrimp.’”

Photo credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage

Frances Gladney has been working as an interior designer for a long time. She made some changes to the house she and Smokey moved into in California after their wedding in 2002. The couple has even launched a few things together, including a skincare line called Skinphonic and Smokey Robinson Wines.

Photo credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage

What are your thoughts about Smokey Robinson’s personal life and his marriages? Let us know.

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