Legendary artist Smokey Robinson revealed he had an affair with Diana Ross and still maintains a relationship with her.
Robinson made the confession during an interview with The Guardian on Thursday, telling the outlet that he had an affair with Ross for “about a year” while he was married to his first wife, Claudette Rogers. “I was married at the time. [Ross and I] were working together and it just happened,” Robinson said.” But it was beautiful. She’s a beautiful lady, and I love her right til today,” he said, according to The Guardian. Robinson then stated his current relationship with the legendary star. “She’s one of my closest people,” Robinson said.
Smokey Robinson Reveals He Had an Affair with Diana Ross: ‘She’s a Beautiful Lady’ https://t.co/dW9i1ldXJw
— People (@people) April 27, 2023
Robinson explained the way their unexpected relationship evolved into an intimate experience.
“She was young and trying to get her career together,” he said.
“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,” he told The Guardian.
The famous artist spoke of how his intimate relationship with Ross eventually ended, and credited Ross for ending things with him out of respect for his marriage.
“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,” Robinson said.
“And I did. I loved my wife very much,” he noted, according to The Guardian.
Robinson revealed his relationship with Ross taught him some lessons about love, and opened his eyes to the complexities of his emotions.
“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,” he said.
Smokey Robinson just revealed that his longtime friendship with Diana Ross turned intimate while he was married to his first wife. https://t.co/xnanQfAR3X
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) April 28, 2023
“And it has been made taboo by us. By people,” Robinson said.
“It’s not because one person isn’t worthy or they don’t live up to what you expect – it has to do with feelings. If we could control love, nobody would love anybody. Nobody would take that chance,” he said to The Guardian. (RELATED: REPORT: Shannen Doherty Files For Divorce, Rep Drags Her Estranged Husband)
“Why would you put your heart out there for somebody to be able to hurt you like that and make you able to have those feelings?” he said.
Robinson was married to Rogers from 1959 to 1986. He married his second wife, Frances Glandney, in 2002. Ross was married to Robert Ellis Silberstein from 1971 to 1977, and Arne Naess Jr. from 1985 to 2000,” according to People.