In the latest turn of events, actor Cuba Gooding Jr. has been ordered by the court to pay more than $300,000 to a victim, following a 2019 incident. For those unversed, the aforementioned star, best known for his portrayal in Tom Cruise-starring Jerry Maguire, has been accused of groping a woman in New York.
Following a 2023 lawsuit filed by the victim, the Manhattan Supreme Court Justice has now ordered Gooding Jr. to pay a hefty amount in damages. Gooding Jr. played the character of Rod Tidwell in the 1996 sports romance hit.
Cuba Gooding Jr Groping Lawsuit: Origin, Allegations & Court Verdict Explained
Kelsey Harbert filed a lawsuit against Gooding Jr. back in November 2023 for s*xual battery and assault. The lawsuit comes under the Adult Survivors Act, following which the Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Richard Latin ruled in Harbert’s favor.
Back in 2019, the actor was criminally charged by the Manhattan district attorney’s office after the surveillance footage from a Manhattan Bar went viral. Shockingly, Gooding Jr. was seen reaching for Harbert’s private parts in this video, after he had put his hand on her thigh. The charges also alleged that Gooding Jr. groped and kissed Harbert as well as two other women without their consent.
A report by the New York Daily News suggests that the incident occurred at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar at The Moxy Hotel in Times Square. Besides the June 2019 incident, Gooding Jr. has also been accused of kissing a waitress without her consent, in an incident that took place in 2018 at LAVO restaurant on W. 28th St and Sixth Ave. Meanwhile, Gooding Jr. is also accused of pinching another woman’s buttocks at the TAO restaurant in Lower Manhattan.
In April 2022, in a plea deal reached with DA Alvin Bragg’s office, the actor was allowed to plead guilty to one misdemeanor count of forcible touching for the 2018 incident. However, the deal also required Gooding Jr. to apologize on the record to Harbert and the victim from the TAO restaurant. In his 2022 hearing, Gooding Jr. stated,
I apologize for making anybody ever feel inappropriately touched, anyone. I am a celebrity figure. I come into contact with people. I never want to them to feel slighted or uncomfortable in any way.
While Gooding Jr. did not serve imprisonment and was later permitted to withdraw his misdemeanor plea, in exchange for going to therapy, Harbert had accused the DA of favoring the actor’s team only because he was a big name in Hollywood.
In a mysterious turn of events, Gooding Jr.’s June 2023 trial never saw the light of day. Reports suggest that the actor had settled the case with the victim– who has still not been named–accusing him of r*ping a woman almost a decade ago.
How Much Will Cuba Gooding Jr. Pay the Victim in Damages?
Following the 2023 lawsuit, on October 15, the county clerk ordered the 57-year-old actor to pay a total of $329,750 in damages after hearing the testimony. The report by the New York Daily News also stated that the total payable amount includes $200,000 as punitive damages.
Talking to the outlet, Harbert mentioned that the ruling has restored her hopes “in the system after six years of an uphill battle.” She also added,
“It felt validating, especially after the criminal case ended in such a disappointing plea deal.”
The Absolute Deception actor, who ignored the lawsuit served to him back in May 2024, could not be reached for any comments.
Gooding Jr. has also shared the big screen with other Hollywood A-listers, including Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, and Jack Nicholson in the 1992 outing A Few Good Men, another movie led by Tom Cruise. He was also seen in Pearl Harbor and Men of Honor alongside Robert De Niro and Charlize Theron.
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Jerry Maguire is available to watch on Amazon Prime.
