Cuba Gooding Jr.'s Son Mason Looks Back on Father's 'Speed-Parented' Approach to Raising Him

Mason Gooding said his father, Cuba Gooding Jr., often had to "speed-parent" him because of his demanding acting career.

Mason opened up about his childhood while reflecting on what it was like growing up with a famous father during an appearance on the "Wildmen" podcast.

"My father was an actor and grandfather [Cuba Gooding Sr.] was a singer," Mason said.

He added, "I have probably a stronger relationship and understanding based on who they were publicly than who they were privately. It wasn’t until I was older that they could — not my grandfather [who died in April 2017], G-- rest his soul — but like my dad would have been able to articulate like a lot of the lessons I learned as a kid."

He continued by explaining how his father's work schedule shaped their relationship.

Mason revealed, "'Cause when you're a parent who's an actor and you're gone for so long, then you come back, you try to … the word would be speed-parent … 'cause you come in for a week, and you're like, 'Why is that broken? Why are you failing school? Why are you fighting?'"

The 29-year-old actor reflected on how he viewed his father while growing up.

"At the time, I didn't really understand that relationship 'cause I was like, 'You're so positive and charismatic in these interviews, and then you come home and it's a different guy,' and I didn't get that correlation or lack thereof," Mason recalled.

The Fall star said those experiences later shaped the advice he gave to other parents in the entertainment industry. He also admitted there are people who "come up to me on set and ask a very polite version of ‘How do I not f--- up my child?'"

Mason said he encouraged parents to consider how their children viewed both their public and private identities.

"It’s just understanding that that dissonance between who I get at home and who you are on camera will actually be a factor in how I parse out our relationship moving forward," he added.

Cuba shared Mason, son Spencer, and daughter Piper with his ex-wife, Sara Kapfer.

The Oscar winner, who earned the Academy Award for Jerry Maguire just months after Mason was born, made headlines in recent years over multiple legal cases.

In 2022, Cuba pleaded guilty in New York State Supreme Court to one count of forcible touching after kissing a waitress without her consent in 2018. He completed six months of alcohol and behavioral counseling, allowing the plea to be reduced to a harassment violation. He did not receive jail time and did not end up with a criminal record.

In June 2023, Cuba settled a lawsuit filed by a woman who accused him of raping her twice in a New York City hotel room in 2013. The terms of the settlement were not publicly disclosed.

Over the years, multiple women also accused Cuba of sexual misconduct. He, however, denied those allegations.