'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
American singer Smokey Robinson revealed he had an extramarital affair with Diana Ross while he was still married to his first wife. While speaking to The Guardian in an interview published on April 27, the 83-year-old admitted to having a year-long affair with the 79-year-old when they were young.
“I was married at the time. [Diana Ross and I] were working together, and it just happened. But it was beautiful.”
Smokey Robinson was previously married to his Miracles bandmate Claudette Rogers. During the interview, he continued:
“She’s a beautiful lady, and I love her right til today. She’s one of my closest people. She was young and trying to get her career together. I was trying to help her. I brought her to Motown, in fact. I wasn’t going after her and she wasn’t going after me. It just happened.”
However, after seeing each other for a year, the duo decided to call it quits on their romance out of guilt.
“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.”
It is not known when or in which year Smokey Robinson and Diana Ross had an affair.
All you need to know about Smokey Robinson's first wife, Claudette Rogers
Born on June 20, 1942, Claudette Rogers is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. As per her official website, she was the first woman to sign with the Motown label, and just like Smokey Robinson, she is a famed vocalist and songwriter.
In the late 1950s, Robinson and a few of his friends founded a famed R&B vocal group called The Miracles. In 1957, Claudette Rogers joined them instead of her brother Emerson “Sonny” Rogers, who was drafted into the United States Army.
During their time together in the group, Smokey Robinson and Claudette Rogers became romantically involved with each other and tied the knot in 1959.
In 1968, the duo welcomed their first child, a son named Berry Robinson. As per the Independent, Claudette suffered seven miscarriages before they finally decided to have their child via surrogacy.
In 1971, Robinson and Rogers welcomed their second child, a daughter named Tamla Robinson. Her name is a tribute to Motown Record’s original name. During their marriage, Smokey had a third child from an extramarital affair, a son named Trey Robinson, who was born in 1984. The singer admitted about his affair and his child in his book Smokey: Inside My Life.
The Tears of a Clown singer and Claudette separated and finalized their divorce in 1986. While speaking to 50Bold in February 2020, Claudette said she and Robinson are on good terms even after the divorce.
“Smokey and I had a very, very good relationship first and then marriage. And we were great friends. Smokey is remarried now, so of course, we can’t have the same kind of friendship we had before. But it’s all OK. We know where we are. You know, he’s a great guy and the father of our children and we have grandchildren as well.”
She shared a Hollywood Walk of Fame star with her ex-husband and other Miracles members in 2009. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee has written books that have been released. To commemorate Motown's 60th anniversary in 2019, she co-authored the children's book Claudette's Miraculous Motown Adventure.
Meanwhile, Robinson is currently married to interior designer Frances Glandney.
