Cuba Gooding Jr. Settles Rape Accusation Lawsuit Minutes Before Trial: Report

Cuba Gooding Jr. has reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed against him in 2020, where he faced accusations of rape that occurred seven years prior.

According to the Associated Press, just minutes before the trial was scheduled to commence, the actor and the plaintiff reached an agreement in the case, which involved allegations of two incidents of rape that took place in 2013 inside his hotel room in New York City.

As reported by the AP, a court record entry stated, "TRIAL OFF" and explained that the cancellation was due to the parties resolving the matter by mutual consent.

The woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, would have been required to reveal her identity during the trial as ruled by Judge Paul A. Crotty last week, as stated in the AP report.

There was no immediate comment from Gooding Jr.'s attorney, in response to media requests on Tuesday.

In her initial lawsuit, the unidentified woman claimed that the Academy Award-winning actor had invited her to his hotel room, where he proceeded to undress in front of her, as reported by Variety, referring to a civil lawsuit filed in August 2020.

According to the woman's allegations, Gooding Jr. blocked the door, pushed her onto the bed, and sexually assaulted her on two occasions.

The woman sued Gooding Jr. for an alleged "crime of violence" based on gender and sought a trial by jury. Variety reported that she was seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

Gooding Jr.'s attorney at the time, Mark Heller, denied the accusations made by the anonymous accuser in a statement to the media, stating that the allegations were false and perjurious. Heller further emphasized that no criminal complaint was filed regarding the alleged incident, which occurred over seven years ago.

This is the latest sexual assault accusation against Gooding Jr. In June 2019, he turned himself in to the New York Police Department after being accused of groping a woman at a rooftop bar in Manhattan.

The woman stated that Gooding Jr. was "highly intoxicated" at the time and touched her breasts at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar and Lounge. Two additional accusations surfaced months later, one of which he pleaded guilty to in April 2022.

In October of the same year, a spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney confirmed that the actor had fulfilled the conditions of his plea agreement, thus avoiding jail time for the misdemeanor charge, as reported by CNN. As part of the agreement, Gooding Jr. agreed to undergo six months of counseling and avoid any further arrests. He also pleaded guilty to a harassment charge at a lower level than a misdemeanor, as reported by CNN.