In a recent interview with The Guardian to promote his latest album, Gasms, Smokey Robinson reflected on his affair with Diana Ross despite being married to his now ex-wife, Claudette Rogers. The Motown frontman revealed that both he and Ross did not plan for the relationship to happen.
“I was married at the time. [Ross and I] were working together, and it just happened. But it was beautiful,” Robinson told the outlet. “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.”
Smokey Robinson says his affair with Diana Ross was not premeditated
Robinson further stated that after some time, the “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” crooner decided to cut off the relationship.
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“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,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said. “And I did. I loved my wife very much.”
Smokey Robinson claims that his affair with Diana Ross taught him a valuable lesson
The Grammy award winner also shared that his relationship with Ross has made him gain a deeper understanding of love, especially now that he is quite advanced in age. “You asked me what happened when we get older, and we get wisdom in life,” Robinson stated. “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.”
He also explained that loving people is not determined by the person who matches up to expectations but by feelings. “It’s not because one person isn’t worthy or they don’t live up to what you expect,” Robinson added. “It has to do with feelings. If we could control love, nobody would love anybody. Nobody would take that chance. 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?”
Netizens react to Smokey Robinson’s confessions
Following Robinson’s confession, Netizens have taken to social media to air their views about the singer’s actions. “So, he took advantage of her age and her situation,” a fan wrote. “Sir, you should have kept this quiet because nobody asked.” Another user countered, “Unless she wasn’t of age, it’s hard to see how this was a matter of anyone taking advantage of anyone else. He’s only four years older than her.”
However, some other fans stated that it was old news and had no reason to be reopened. “She knew what she was doing. Really, who’s business is it anyway?” someone else wrote while another person replied, “He made it our business when he announced this. Nobody asked him.”