Oscar Winner Cuba Gooding Jr. Settles Civil Sex Abuse Case, Averting Trial

According to court records, just before the start of the trial, it was revealed on Tuesday that Cuba Gooding Jr. has reached a settlement regarding accusations of raping a woman in a New York City hotel ten years ago. The actor had maintained, through his lawyers, that the encounter with the woman was consensual after they met at a nearby restaurant.

The trial, which was set to begin with jury selection in a New York federal court, was abruptly canceled as both parties involved reached a resolution. The court record mentioned that the trial was canceled with the consent of both parties, but no specific details were provided.

Until recently, the woman had chosen to remain anonymous. However, Judge Paul A. Crotty ruled that she would need to reveal her name during the trial. In her lawsuit, she accused Gooding of raping her in his hotel room. Gooding’s lawyers, on the other hand, asserted that the sexual encounter was consensual and that the woman later boasted to others about having had sex with a celebrity.

The lawsuit sought $6 million in damages, and Gloria Allred, one of the attorneys representing the woman, declined to comment on the settlement. Other lawyers, including those representing Gooding, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The lawsuit was filed against an individual who has faced allegations of sexual misconduct from over 30 other women, including incidents of groping, unwanted kissing, and other inappropriate behavior.

In a recent development, the judge’s ruling allowed three additional women to testify during the trial, sharing their experiences of sudden sexual assaults or attempted assaults by Gooding after meeting him in social settings like festivals, bars, nightclubs, and restaurants. This ruling likely strengthened the woman’s position in both the trial and settlement negotiations.

One of the women scheduled to testify was Kelsey Harbert, who reported that Gooding had fondled her without her consent at a rooftop bar near Times Square in 2019. Harbert expressed her disappointment after Gooding pleaded guilty to a charge in a separate case, stating that not having her day in court was profoundly disappointing.

It is worth noting that the Associated Press typically refrains from identifying individuals who have been sexually assaulted unless they grant permission, as Harbert has done.

Gooding, known for his roles in films such as “Boyz n the Hood” and “Radio,” previously pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in April 2022 for forcibly kissing a worker at a New York nightclub in 2018. By maintaining good behavior and completing counseling, he was allowed to withdraw his guilty plea and plead guilty to a non-criminal harassment violation, which eliminated his criminal record and prevented further penalties.