Acclaimed actor Cuba Gooding Jr. has reached a settlement in a rape lawsuit that has been looming over him for years. The lawsuit was on the brink of proceeding to a federal civil trial which could have potentially cost Gooding Jr. millions if the jury had found in favor of the plaintiff, the terms of which remain undisclosed, according to ABC News.
The plaintiff's account details a disturbing encounter in August 2013. The unnamed woman alleges that she met Gooding Jr. at a restaurant in Greenwich Village. Subsequently, he invited her to his room at the Mercer Hotel under the pretext of having drinks. According to the lawsuit, Gooding Jr. strategically positioned himself between her and the exit, began undressing, and then forcibly pushed her onto the bed despite her protests. The woman alleges that Gooding Jr. then proceeded to sexually assault her twice, despite her repeated attempts to resist.
Gooding Jr., however, has refuted these allegations, maintaining that the sexual encounter was consensual. The lawsuit was close to entering the jury selection phase for the civil trial when the settlement was reached.
Further controversy arose during the proceedings when the presiding Judge Paul Crotty ruled that testimonies from three additional women, who accused Gooding Jr. of sexual misconduct, could be admitted as evidence during the trial. The judge noted that these allegations shared similarities with the plaintiff's account, in that they all reported abrupt sexual assault or attempted assault within social settings featuring alcohol, such as festivals, bars, nightclubs, and restaurants.
Gooding Jr. has had previous brushes with legal issues relating to sexual misconduct. He managed to evade a prison sentence last year by pleading guilty in a state criminal case accusing him of groping multiple women. The actor underwent alcohol and behavioral counseling after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor, and subsequently, he was permitted to withdraw his guilty plea. He then pleaded guilty to a non-criminal harassment violation, which effectively expunged his record, as reported by The Associated Press.
This settlement marks the end of one chapter in Gooding Jr.'s ongoing legal issues. However, it leaves unanswered questions about the actor's behavior and the broader issue of sexual misconduct in Hollywood.
