Cuba Gooding Jr has been arrested, but denies alleged an groping incident. In the 1990s, Gooding was one of the hottest talents rising in Hollywood. With roles in notable films such as Boyz N’ The Hood, A Few Good Men, and Outbreak, Gooding solidified his status as a formidable talent with his 1997 Best Supporting Oscar for his work in Jerry Maguire.
Shortly thereafter, however, things gradually began to slow down for the star. A steady stream of less than stellar releases carried him quietly into the new millennium and he infamously made poor career choices, such as turning down Steven Spielberg’s Amistad, as well as roles in Ray, Hotel Rwanda, and The Last King of Scotland. But in the past few years, Gooding has seemingly been on the right track once again, starring in Ava DuVernay’s Oscar winning Selma and gaining an Emmy nomination for his role as O.J. Simpson in American Crime Story’s The People Vs. O.J. Simpson. Gooding also made his directorial debut with 2018’s Bayou Caviar, though the film failed to gain much widespread acclaim.
The spotlight is once again focused on the 51-year-old Jerry Maguire star, but unfortunately, this time it’s not for his skills as an actor. According to ABC, Gooding has been charged with forcible touching after a 29-year-old woman claimed that he grabbed her breast in a New York City nightclub this past weekend. Gooding turned himself into police Thursday and was led out of the police station in handcuffs after being fingerprinted and having his mug shot taken. He currently denies his charges and stated “I trust the system and will let the process speak for itself.” Check out the footage below, courtesy of the Associated Press:
Gooding’s lawyer, Mark Heller, has already made it clear that two hours worth of footage from a security camera at the nightclub exonerates his client of all wrongdoing. Said Heller regarding the footage:
However, this isn’t the first time that Gooding has found himself in trouble. In 2012, a bartender in New Orleans declined to press charges against the star after he allegedly shoved her when asked to leave the premises. Two years ago, Gooding was seen lifting the dress of co-star Sarah Paulson during American Horror Story’s panel at Paleyfest. Gooding insisted that he and Paulson share a banter like brother and sister and that his actions were a part of that.
“Mr. Gooding has not acted inappropriately in any shape or form. Nothing in the video could even be considered ambiguous, and I frankly am shocked and horrified that this case is being prosecuted. I am highly confident that he will be totally exonerated."
From the sound of it, the video footage of this most recent incident proves that Gooding has done nothing wrong. Whether or not that’s the case remains to be seen. It has also been reported that Heller was reluctant to let Gooding turn himself in after the accusations were made and the footage reviewed. Only time will tell exactly how far these charges against Gooding will go.
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Source: ABC, Associated Press
