Cuba Gooding Jr. settled accusations that he raped a woman in a New York City hotel a decade ago. The revelation came soon as a trial was to begin in federal court.
The Oscar-winning star insisted through lawyers that his encounter with the woman was consensual after the two met at a nearby restaurant in Manhattan.
The woman maintained her anonymity but Judge Paul A. Crotty ruled that she would have to reveal her name at trial. She claims in the lawsuit that Gooding raped her in his hotel room after convincing her to stop at the room so he could change clothing.
However his lawyers insisted that it was consensual and that she even bragged afterward to others that she had relations with a celebrity.
The lawsuit sought $6 million.
The trial was to start with jury selection in New York federal court. But minutes after jurors were to begin assembling in a courtroom, a calendar entry in the official court record said: “TRIAL OFF.” It added: “Reason for cancellation (on consent): the parties have resolved the matter.”
By staying out of trouble and completing six months of alcohol and behavioral counseling, Gooding was permitted to withdraw his guilty plea and plead guilty to a non-criminal harassment violation, eliminating his criminal record and preventing further penalties.