Cuba Gooding Jr. Charged with Sexual Abuse

Cuba Gooding Jr. pleads not guilty to accusations of forcible touching and sexual abuse. 

The Three Separate Alleged Incidents

Gooding’s first accuser is a waitress at LAVO nightclub in New York. She claims the defendant forcibly touched her in 2018. Another party, Natasha Ashworth, claims the movie star groped her buttocks at TAO Downtown in 2018. This video of the alleged occurrence was leaked online by TMZ. A final party accuses the actor of groping her breast in 2019 at Magic Hour also located in New York City. 

The Charges

Gooding is charged with three separate incidents of forcible touching and three separate incidents of  sexual abuse – third degree. He maintains his innocence on all accounts. 

The Prosecution

Prosecutors claim there are a total of 14 women accusing Gooding of groping and unwanted sexual advances. The accusations start in 2001 and include unwanted kissing and groping of private body parts. The prosecution team is asking a judge to allow the eleven other parties to be witnesses in the charged cases above. Gooding has not been formally charged with crimes in all fourteen cases. Jenna Long, a prosecutor on the case, states the eleven other women’s testimony shows that the actor has repeatedly and intentionally touched women in inappropriate areas when the gesture was not welcomed. Gooding has not been charged in the eleven other instances because they occurred too long ago. 

The Defense

Gooding’s criminal defense attorney, Mark Jay Heller, states the leaked video from TAO Downtown proves no wrong doing by his client. He maintains Gooding was not involved in any criminal behavior. Heller states he feels the prosecution is going after Gooding because of his celebrity status. He also stated Gooding’s gestures have been misconceived due to the sensitive, “MeToo,” climate we now live in. 

ArborYpsi Law TakeAways

Whenever a celebrity is accused of sexual assault or harassment women from the past always surface. It makes you question why they didn’t come forward when the incident first occurred. This seems to be the case with Cuba Gooding Jr. One woman comes forward and then several other women from years and years ago come out of the wood work. It is possible that Gooding is another male victim of the trendy, popular “MeToo,” climate. 

Call us

Call Sam Bernstein at 734-883-9584 or e-mail at bernstein@arborypsilaw.com.

Sam Bernstein is a criminal defense lawyer in Ann Arbor, MI. 

ArborYpsi Law is located at 2750 Carpenter Rd #2 Ann Arbor, MI 48108.

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If you have been charged with rape, sexual assault, or sexual abuse call ArborYpsi Law. Sam Bernstein is a criminal defense lawyer practicing in Washtenaw County. He has routinely represented clients charged with sex crimes and obtained favorable results. Sex crimes can ruin your reputation and record. Do not let a sexual abuse or sexual assault crime destroy everything you have worked so hard for. 

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