Actor Gooding Jr faces new sexual assault lawsuits

Renewed accusations of sexual abuse are being faced by American actor Cuba Gooding Junior, as two women, Jasmine Abbay and Kelsey Harbert, who had previously filed criminal charges against him, have now separately lodged sexual and battery assault lawsuits in the New York Supreme Court.

Accusing the 55-year-old actor of malicious, willful, and outrageous actions in their past encounters, both Abbay and Harbert are seeking legal redress through a jury trial. They are also pursuing compensation for lost wages, emotional distress, punitive damages, liquidated damages, and attorneys’ fees.

These claims were submitted under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which provides a one-year window for victims of sexual abuse to file claims that would otherwise be time-barred. This window is set to close on November 23, coinciding with the Thanksgiving holiday.

In her November 2023 lawsuit, Abbay, who met Gooding in September 2018 while working at LAVO in NYC, alleges that the actor sexually assaulted her during a drink service. This incident follows a previous case for which Gooding pleaded guilty to forcible touching in April 2022. Abbay claims injuries including psychological trauma, emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment, and humiliation.

Harbert, who encountered Gooding at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge in June 2019, alleges in her November 2023 lawsuit that Gooding touched her thigh and breast. A police report filed by Harbert led to Gooding’s arrest for forcible touching, and in April 2022, he admitted to non-consensual contact. Harbert claims sexual assault and battery, citing injuries such as psychological trauma, emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment, and humiliation.

Notably, in June 2023, Gooding reached a settlement in a sexual assault lawsuit where a woman accused him of raping her a decade ago in a New York City hotel, according to court records. Gooding, maintaining the encounter was consensual after meeting at a nearby restaurant, settled the case with the accuser, Jane Doe, who sought $6 million in damages for significant emotional distress. Gooding’s lawyers argued it was consensual, citing the accuser’s prior boasting about the encounter.