Prosecutors have accused Cuba Gooding Jr. of repeatedly approaching women in bars, and touching, groping, kissing, and biting them without consent.
The Oscar-winning actor pleaded not guilty Tuesday at his arraignment on four misdemeanor counts of sexual abuse in Manhattan Criminal Court, according to NBC News.
He was charged with two counts of forcible touching and two counts of sexual abuse following allegations brought by two women.
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Prosecutors said the Jerry Maguire star squeezed a woman’s breast at Magic Hour Rooftop Bar and Lounge near Times Square on June 9, and pinched another woman’s butt at Manhattan nightclub TAO on Oct. 24, 2018. The actor was arrested in June for the Magic Hour incident.
In addition to the two New York accusers, the prosecution said 12 other women will testify that the 51-year-old actor groped or touched them in other alleged incidents in New York, California, Texas and New Mexico between 2001 and 2018.
Gooding’s attorney, Mark Jay Heller, told reporters after the hearing that the two cases are a waste of time.
“We are shocked, outraged and absolutely dumbfounded that the district attorney’s office wasted the taxpayers’ money, resources and time in charging Cuba with these two incredulous cases,” Heller said.
If convicted, Gooding faces up to a year in jail. He’s scheduled to return to court on December 13.
