UPDATE: Cuba Gooding turns himself in to NYPD after groping allegations
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. was arrested Thursday and charged with forcible touching.
June 14, 2019: Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. has kept his word and turned himself in to New York City police earlier today around 11:00 a.m. EST to answer questions around accusations that he groped a woman at a bar in Manhattan this past weekend. The actor has been charged with a misdemeanor count of forcible touching.
According to TheWrap, a 29-year old woman filed a complaint with police saying that Gooding Jr. grabbed her breast while intoxicated at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar located on top of the Moxy Hotel just shy of Times Square. The woman apparently stood up for herself, argued with Gooding Jr. about his alleged inability to keep his hands to himself and when he brushed her off, she called the police to report the incident.
Gooding Jr.’s lawyers aren’t saying much, but the actor spoke with TMZ on Wednesday to declare his innocence. He believes there is evidence that will back his account of what really went down Sunday night.
“There’s a tape that shows what really happened,” Gooding Jr. said. “I believe in the system and let the process speak for itself.”
This isn’t the first time Gooding Jr. has been called out for questionable behavior. In 2012, a bartender in New Orleans claimed the actor pushed her when she asked him to leave her establishment. Although an arrest warrant was issued, she refused to press charges.
“I trust the system and will let the process speak for itself,” Gooding told TMZ.
June 13, 2019: Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. was set Wednesday afternoon to turn himself into police after a woman accused him of groping her on Sunday night at a New York City bar.
A representative for the actor told NBC News that Gooding, 51, planned to turn himself into the NYPD’s sex crimes unit.
READ MORE: Cuba Gooding Jr. accused of putting his hands where they didn’t belong, report says
The woman told police that she was at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar and Lounge, an establishment near Times Square, when Gooding touched her breasts. The NYPD is collecting video from the bar and any other place that might reveal some clues, NBC News reports.
The Oscar-winning actor denies that he groped the woman, according to ABC News. He could face a misdemeanor charge of forcible touching, the news organization reports.
Gooding plans to turn himself in to the NYPD between noon and 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, Gooding’s lawyer, Mark Jay Heller, told ABC.
This is not the first time that Gooding has potentially faced such charges.
In 2012, a group of women claimed that the actor fondled them at a bar in New Mexico, though Gooding also denied those claims. No charges were ever filed.
READ MORE: Cuba Gooding Jr. honors John Singleton by singing at New York night spots
Also in 2012, Gooding was accused of pushing a woman bartender in New Orleans. A warrant was issued for his arrest but the bartender later dropped the charges, CNN reported.
In that situation, Gooding allegedly entered the Old Absinthe Bar in New Orleans’ French Quarter with a group of people in the early hours of the morning. Patrons wanted to take pictures with him and he eventually became frustrated. When the bartender tried to calm him down, he pushed her away, CNN reported at the time.
Gooding played O.J. Simpson in The People v. O.J. Simpson and won a supporting actor Oscar for his role in Jerry Maguire. He also just finished work on a feature Life in a Year, Deadline reports.
