Back in 2019, A Few Good Men and Jerry Maguire actor Cuba Gooding Jr. was accused of forcibly touching a woman at a nightclub the year prior, and this led to many other women accusing him of sexual misconduct. Gooding was subsequently charged for three incidents, and it’s been revealed today that he has officially pleaded guilty to forcibly kissing the aforementioned woman in 2018.
Along with pleading guilty on this one count, Cuba Gooding Jr. also publicly apologized to two other women who accused him of similar inappropriate behavior. The admission of guilty and the apology were made as part of a plea deal, with the actor saying in court (via Associated Press):
I apologize for making anybody ever feel inappropriately touched. I am a celebrity figure. I come into contact with people. I never want them to feel slighted or uncomfortable in any way.
For those who haven’t been keeping track of Cuba Gooding Jr.’s legal troubles, the actor had been charged with forcibly kissing an employee at a nightclub in 2018. As part of this plea deal, Gooding told the judge today he "kissed the waitress on her lips” without consent. This deal allows him to avoid jail time if he continues with “alcohol and behavior modification” counseling for six more months, with The New York Times reporting he’s been undergoing since 2019. The Manhattan District Attorney’s office also made it clear that Gooding must not have any new arrests.
If this criteria is met, then Cuba Gooding Jr. can withdraw his misdemeanor plea and plead to to a lesser charge of harassment. However, his legal troubles won’t end there. More than 20 women have accused the actor of forcibly kissing or groping them, and these incidents stretch back two decades. Gooding has specifically faced a criminal trial over charges of unwanted touching with three women in 2018 and 2019, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has asked a judge to admit 19 other women who’ve had similar encounters to serve as witnesses. Additionally, Gooding is being accused in a lawsuit of raping a woman in New York City back in 2013.
So while one particular chapter of Cuba Gooding Jr.’s legal saga has reached a conclusion of sorts, we’ll still be hearing more updates on this aspect of his life for the foreseeable future. Regarding Gooding’s film and TV work, along with the aforementioned A Few Good Men and playing Jerry Maguire (the latter of which netted him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Rod Tidwell), his other notable credits include As Good as It Gets, What Dreams May Come, Men of Honor, Lee Daniels’ The Butler and Selma. Gooding also drew acclaim back in 2016 for his performance as O.J. Simpson in American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, with an Emmy nomination included among his accolades, though he was later glad his time on the show was over.
If there are any other major updates on Cuba Gooding Jr.’s other legal entanglements, CinemaBlend will pass them along, as well as continue to keep you informed on news regarding upcoming movies.
