Cuba Gooding Jr Confronted with Two Fresh Lawsuits Alleging Sexual Assault
Cuba Gooding Jr faces fresh legal challenges with two new lawsuits over alleged sexual assault incidents from 2018 and 2019
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Cuba Gooding Jr. is facing two new lawsuits related to separate groping incidents that date back to 2018 and 2019.
Lawsuits were filed on Wednesday, November 22, under New York state’s Adult Survivors Act, which was established on Thanksgiving Day in 2022. This law allowed plaintiffs a one-year window to file civil claims of sexual assault that would not typically meet the statute of limitations.
In one of the lawsuits, an unnamed plaintiff claimed that Gooding forcibly kissed her while she was working as a waitress at LAVO nightclub in New York. Gooding had previously pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of criminal forcible touching related to the same incident. According to The Los Angeles Times.
According to the Times, Kelsey Harbert claims in the second lawsuit that actor Cuba Gooding Jr. touched her thighs and breast without consent, making her feel objectified. Gooding previously admitted to non-consensual physical contact in a separate incident, resulting in a plea deal that included counseling but no jail time. Attorney Gloria Allred, representing the plaintiffs in the new lawsuits, expressed determination to fight for justice and accountability, stating that her clients were not satisfied with the outcome of the criminal case.
Both women are seeking unspecified damages for assault and battery; emotional, physical and mental distress; lost wages; and attorney’s fees.
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The recent lawsuits are part of a series of sexual abuse allegations against the actor, who has been facing such claims for the past few years. In June, he settled with a woman who accused him of raping her twice in a Soho hotel room in 2013. During the criminal groping trial in 2020, numerous women came forward with accounts of Gooding's unwanted touching, leading to a total of 30 accusers.
We has reached out to Gooding’s lawyer for comment.
