Actor Cuba Gooding Jr accused of 2013 rape in new lawsuit
New York – Cuba Gooding Jr,, already charged for groping three women, has also been accused of raping a woman in 2013, according to a civil lawsuit filed Tuesday.
In the complaint, registered with the Manhattan federal court and reported by several US media outlets, an anonymous woman accused the 52-year-old US actor of raping her in a Manhattan hotel seven years ago.
After inviting her for a drink, Gooding – who won the 1997 Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in Jerry Maguire – took her up to his room.
The woman said he prevented her from leaving once he began undressing in front of her, then pushed her onto the bed and raped her twice even though she kept asking him to stop.
“Our client is making very serious allegations against Cuba Gooding Jr. in her lawsuit which we have filed,” said lawyer Gloria Allred, who is representing the plaintiff.
Allred is seeking an unspecified amount in damages for her client.
“She looks forward to obtaining justice in a court of law,” Allred said.
Gooding’s team denied the claims.
“The allegations are false and perjurious,” his lawyer, Mark Jay Heller, said.
“We believe the case will be dismissed.”
Since 2019, some 20 women have accused Gooding Jr. of inappropriate touching or sexual harassment.
He was charged with sexual aggression towards three of the women behind the accusations.
His trial in Manhattan was set to begin in April before it was postponed indefinitely due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
It is not known whether the woman who filed the civil suit for rape contacted the police or the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. - AFP
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