Cuba Gooding Jr. Pleads GUILTY to Forcible Touching

In news just in, actor Cuba Gooding Jr. has pleaded guilty to one count of forcible touching in a criminal case that saw him accused of inappropriate behavior towards three women.

Full story below…

As reported, the 54-year-old was arrested back in June 2019 after a 29-year-old woman informed police that he squeezed her breast without consent at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge in New York City.

On the heels of the arrest, two additional women stepped forward with accusations of inappropriate groping.

One, a female server at TAO Downtown, says the actor pinched her buttocks in 2018. The other says he groped her at LAVO New York nightclub that same year.

It resulted in Gooding being charged for all three incidents in the criminal court.

He’s notably only pleaded guilty to the LAVO nightclub charge.

Interestingly, Gooding denied any wrongdoing at the early stage and pleaded not guilty to six misdemeanor counts. Simultaneously, his legal team accused prosecutors of being overly aggressive and powered by the growing volume of the #MeToo movement – in the process, said the defense, misrepresenting “commonplace gestures” as crimes.

20 women in total came forward claiming that the actor had touched them inappropriately – with some of the alleged incidents dating back 20 years.

A judge ruled that the case relating to the first batch of accusations could proceed, which meant prosecutors could call multiple other women echoing similar claims in presenting the full picture of their case.

Several delays plagued the trial (including the global health crisis). As it loomed, in August 2020 Gooding was also hit with a lawsuit alleging that he raped a woman in 2013. He has denied those allegations and has instructed a legal team to defend him.

By pleading guilty, Gooding is accepting a plea deal.

Should he adhere to the particulars of the pact, his misdemeanor charge will be lessened to a violation. The latter of which is not a crime.

Also notable is that, by taking the plea deal, Gooding avoids both jail time and ultimately will maintain a spotless criminal record.