A Los Angeles judge has partially dismissed Smokey Robinson’s sweeping $500 million countersuit against four women who accuse the Motown legend of sexual assault and related misconduct, narrowing but not ending the high-stakes legal battle.

The countersuit, filed by Robinson and his wife, Frances Robinson, targeted the women and their public statements, which were aired at a press conference, posted on YouTube, amplified across social media and reported by major news outlets. Robinson alleged defamation and other harms, arguing that the accusers had fabricated their claims and damaged his reputation and career.

In the recent ruling, the court struck key defamation claims, finding that the women’s allegations and their decision to speak publicly were matters of legitimate public interest. Because Robinson is a prominent public figure, the judge held that he was required to show “actual malice” – that the women knew their statements were false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth – and that he had not met that demanding legal standard at this stage.

The judge’s decision means that large portions of Robinson’s $500 million countersuit will not move forward, significantly trimming the scope of his legal offensive against the accusers. However, the ruling stopped short of a complete defeat for Robinson.

The court allowed certain non-defamation claims to proceed, including allegations that employees stole personal property from the Robinsons and deleted information from their phones. Those surviving claims keep Robinson’s countersuit alive and ensure that the litigation will continue on multiple fronts.

Attorneys for the women hailed the ruling as a major step forward. Lawyer John Harris called the decision a “powerful and unequivocal victory,” arguing that it clears away much of what they viewed as an attempt to intimidate and silence the accusers, while allowing the underlying civil case against Robinson to move ahead.

Robinson’s attorney, Christopher Frost, pushed back on that characterization, saying the defense team “strongly disagrees” with the dismissal of several claims. Frost insisted there is “plenty of evidence of actual malice” and reiterated Robinson’s position that the accusations are “untrue and fabricated,” pointing to what he described as inconsistencies in the women’s accounts.

The countersuit is intertwined with a broader civil action brought by four former housekeepers, who accuse Robinson of sexual battery and other misconduct during their employment in his home. With the latest ruling, both the original lawsuit and the narrowed countersuit are poised to move into a more intensive phase of discovery and pretrial maneuvering.