#Socialites, get into this: Actor Cuba Gooding Jr has settled a lawsuit with a woman who accused him of raping her in a New York City hotel room in 2013.
The actor who has been accused of groping and unwanted touching by dozens of women, had insisted through lawyers that the unnamed victim in this case, gave him consent before allegedly hooking up with her after meeting at a nearby restaurant. His lawyers also insisted that it was consensual sex and that she bragged afterward to others that she had sex with a celebrity. Despite that, he was still accused of persuading her to join him at a Manhattan hotel and allegedly convinced her to stop at his room so he could change clothes. She said in her lawsuit that Gooding then raped her in his room.
When she originally filed in 2020, Gooding Jr.’s attorney at the time, Mark Heller, denied the claims made by the anonymous accuser. In a statement to PEOPLE,
“The allegations against Cuba Gooding Jr. are false and perjurious,” he said. “There was absolutely no conduct committed in a criminal nature as alleged. We expect the case to be dismissed,” Heller continued at the time. “It was an alleged incident that took place over seven years ago with no criminal complaint at the time.”
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Now, the trial was all set to start with jury selection in New York federal court. However, just minutes after jurors were to begin assembling in a courtroom, a calendar entry in the official court record said: “TRIAL OFF.” It added: “Reason for cancellation (on consent): the parties have resolved the matter,” the Associated Press notes.
The woman had proceeded anonymously until last week, when Judge Paul A. Crotty ruled that she would have to reveal her name at trial, now that it’s been settled, she could remain anonymous. The lawsuit sought $6 million in damages.
Last year, Gooding avoided time in the slammer after pleading guilty in a state criminal case that accused him of groping not one but several other women. Initially, Gooding had denied the charges, all misdemeanors, and the defense contended Gooding was unfairly tarnished because of the #MeToo era.
However, after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor, the actor underwent alcohol and behavioral counseling. From there, he was then allowed to withdraw that guilty plea. Gooding later pleaded guilty to a non-criminal harassment violation, which cleared his record, The Associated Press reported.
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