Cuba Gooding Jr. Faces 'Extremely Serious' Rape Allegations — 30 Women Have Spoken
After multiple allegations of groping, Cuba Gooding Jr. has been accused of raping a woman twice in 2013 in a New York hotel room.
In an upcoming episode of The Dr. Oz Show, experts weigh in on the allegations against the actor.
"This is a civil suit. It's not criminal, and the plaintiff we only know is Jane Doe. But in this suit, she claims that Cuba Gooding Jr. violently raped her in 2013," the show's senior investigative correspondent, Mara Schiavocampo, explained. "These are extremely serious allegations."
"According to the lawsuit, she met Gooding while she was out with friends in Manhattan and he lured her back to his hotel room saying he just had to change clothes, it would be a quick change," she added. "When they got inside, he reportedly blocked the door, undressed, forced her onto the bed, and raped her twice before she says she was finally able to escape. She is seeking a trial by jury and punitive damages.”
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A legal representative for the Jerry Maguire star denied the accusation, which was made on August 19, calling it "completely false and defamatory." On June 13, 2019, the actor was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor count of "forcible touching" and third degree sexual abuse, relating to an incident in which he allegedly groped a woman at a bar in Times Square. On October 10, he was indicted on a separate, additional sexual abuse charge.
As of last month, 30 women have accused Gooding of unwanted sexual touching. He has pleaded not guilty.
Although there are 30 victims involved, The Dr. Oz Show's legal contributor, Joey Jackson, said he doesn't expect that all the women will speak at trial.
"There's no way that's happening, and so let's talk about why? Trials have to be about what they're about. What did you do at this specific time? What are you alleged to have done at this specific location, etc.," Jackson said. "I think the judge will allow some women to come in because legally it goes to potential motive. It goes to a pattern. It goes to modus operandi. But there's no way that the judge could permit, from a legal basis, every woman to testify, even most women to testify. I think the judge will limit it to a few."
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Attorney Gloria Allred, who previously represented 33 of Bill Cosby's accusers, also shared her opinion on the number of women who have made allegations against Gooding.
"I'm not surprised at all, Dr. Oz, that more women have come forward because fear is a weapon that is used to silence women," she told the show's host. "Often they are afraid that if they make accusations against a famous, rich celebrity that they will not be believed because so many people love the celebrity and love, in this case, Cuba Gooding Jr. for his wonderful performances in film."
Despite the serious allegations, the actor, who famously portrayed O.J. Simpson in Ryan Murphy's American Crime Story anthology, has been spotted out and about at events — seemingly carefree.
"Often those who are accused of crimes want to try to live a normal life pending the trial. In some cases, that does not work out well for them," Allred said. "Take Harvey Weinstein for example. He did not get favorable coverage for being at certain venues, for example, comedy clubs. Obviously, the charges were very serious, why is he out there apparently just having a good old time?"
The bombshell episode of The Dr. Oz Show will air on Thursday, October 1.
