Not good…
Cuba Gooding Jr. is facing the consequences of his actions. As reported in The Jasmine Brand, Gooding Jr. pleaded guilty to forcibly touching a woman in a New York City nightclub in 2018 on Wednesday, April 13.
The woman was one of three who accused the actor of unwanting touching at different locations in Manhattan between the span of 2018 and 2019. However, a total of 30 women accused Gooding Jr. of sexual misconduct.
As a result of his guilty plea, Gooding Jr. will avoid jail time. However, he must do six months of counseling for alcohol and behavior modification. In addition, he must stay out of trouble. If he doesn’t comply with the terms, he could face up to one year in jail. His attorney, Peter Toumbekis, told CNN, “Cuba Gooding Jr. entered into a re-pleader today whereby in six months his case will be disposed of with a violation, which is not a crime, resulting in no criminal record.” During the hearing, the award-winning actor said, “I apologize for ever making anybody feel inappropriately touched.”
CNN also reports that Gooding Jr. admitted to kissing the woman, a waitress at the club, on her lips without consent. He also admitted to two other incidents of non-consensual contact in October 2018 and June 2019.
In 2019, Gooding Jr. was taken into custody after a woman claimed he had allegedly touched her breast at a bar in New York City. He was charged with forcible touching. According to the CNN report, a new trial date has not been set, but there will be another hearing in this case on September 1.
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. pled guilty to a misdemeanor count of forcible touching as part of a plea deal sparing him any immediate jail time. The actor was charged with forcibly kissing a woman at a New York nightclub in 2018 https://t.co/tp7ULkBmsA pic.twitter.com/pDkslZi4l3
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 14, 2022
Gooding Jr. won an Oscar for his role in Jerry Maguire. He also had roles in classic films like Boyz N the Hood, Radio, Pearl Harbor, and more.