Cuba Gooding Jr.'s legal troubles and bid for a comeback

Cuba Gooding Jr. has spent most of the last few years in courtrooms. He has been accused of rape and sexual harassment. A few weeks ago, stories emerged about how he allegedly "fondled" a man on a yacht. The actor wants to regain Hollywood's favor.

He was a top-tier star. His credits include Jerry Maguire, American Gangster, As Good as It Gets, and Norbit. Cuba Gooding Jr. has been sidelined from major Hollywood productions in recent years. Several legal cases have been filed against him. After his 2014 divorce from Sara Kapfer, stories began circulating about his abusive, intrusive behavior towards women. "He acted like a ravenous hyena," one described. Then, the accusations kept coming.

In the last few years, three women testified in court, claiming they were victims of sexual assault by Cuba Gooding Jr. The accusations involved unwanted touching and kissing. In 2023, the actor was accused of a rape that allegedly occurred 10 years earlier. The woman sought $6 million in damages. The judge informed her that she would have to reveal her identity if the case went to trial. As reported by American media, the parties settled just minutes before the trial began. The terms are unknown, and the trial did not proceed.

Shortly after, when everyone thought everything about Gooding Jr. had been uncovered, a scandal broke involving music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was accused of, among other things, human trafficking for sexual purposes. Once again, the actor's name appeared in lawsuits, this time accused of sexually molesting producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones on one of Combs' yachts.

"Cuba Gooding Jr. began touching, groping, and fondling his legs, upper inner thighs near his groin, the small of his back near his buttocks, and his shoulders," the lawsuit claimed. According to Mr. Jones, he felt "extremely uncomfortable" and began to move away from Mr. Gooding Jr. He rejected his advances, and Mr. Gooding Jr. "did not stop until Mr. Jones forcibly pushed him away," it described.

It further stated that at all relevant times, Mr. Gooding Jr. acted with a conscious disregard for the plaintiff's rights and feelings, acted with knowledge or reckless disregard of the fact that his conduct was certain to cause injury and/or humiliation to the plaintiff, and intended to cause fear, physical injury, and/or suffering to the plaintiff.

Gooding wants to regain filmmakers' favor. In times of trouble, he turned to God, so the actor embraced the Christian film market. According to Page Six, he starred in "The Firing Squad," described as a Christian adventure drama. It's a story based on facts - three prisoners awaiting execution unexpectedly find faith. "They find Jesus within the prison walls," the producer stated. They undergo an incredible transformation, discovering hope, forgiveness, and the strength to change their lives.

"The Firing Squad" also features another Hollywood pariah - Kevin Sorbo. The actor, "Hercules," has been starring only in low-budget Christian productions for several years. He said there is no place for such films in Hollywood anymore. For about 10 years, nothing like that has been made.