Cuba Gooding Jr. pled guilty to forcibly touching a woman in a New York City club, The New York Times reports. Over the last 20 years, the actor has been accused by more than 20 women of groping or forcibly kissing them.
Gooding was arrested back in June 2019 following an incident at a club in Manhattan, Variety reports. A woman told police that the actor squeezed her breast without her consent at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge. Afterward, several other women accused Gooding of similar behavior. A server at Tao Downtown restaurant alleged the 54-year-old pinched her buttocks in 2018, while another woman alleged he forcibly and inappropriately touched her at the LAVO New York nightclub the same year.
Gooding had previously denied all other accusations and pleaded not guilty to other misdemeanor charges. But he pleaded guilty to one charge of unwanted forcible touching on Wednesday, in regard to the LAVO nightclub allegation, The New York Times reports.
In a 2019 court filing, the district attorney’s office in New York said that Gooding’s “prior acts demonstrate that his contacts with their intimate parts are intentional, not accidental, and that he is not mistaken about their lack of consent.”
According to Variety, Gooding was also accused of raping a woman in 2013. The woman said the assault occurred in a New York City hotel room, though he has denied allegations.
