Cuba Gooding Jr hit with two lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault

The lawsuits were filed on Wednesday in New York Supreme Court ahead of the expiration of the state’s Adult Survivors Act on Friday

Cuba Gooding Jr has been hit with two lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault.

In the suits, the Jerry Maguire actor is accused of groping two women in two separate incidents at New York restaurants in 2018 and 2019.

The lawsuits were filed on Wednesday in New York Supreme Court ahead of the expiration of the state’s Adult Survivors Act on Friday.

The measure, passed last year, created a temporary window for victims of historic sexual assault to sue their alleged abusers past the state’s usual deadlines.

The latest lawsuits against Gooding Jr come after he settled a case in June with a woman who accused him of rape in 2013.

In one of the new lawsuits, a cocktail waitress – who wished to remain anonymous – said she was working at a New York nightclub in 2018 when Gooding Jr forced his tongue in her mouth without her consent.

In the second suit, Kelsey Harbert alleged that Gooding Jr groped her breast after she had sat down next to him and his girlfriend at Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge in 2019.

In response, Ms Harbert “grabbed” Gooding Jr’s hand “in order to remove it from her breast” before the actor “took her hand, put it up to his mouth, and tried to kiss it,” the suit claims.

Cuba Gooding Jr has been hit with two lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault (AP)

Back in 2022, Gooding Jr faced criminal charges over these same allegations.

He pleaded guilty to both charges after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors.

The actor received no prison time after a judge determined he had followed the terms of the plea deal.

And after staying out of trouble and completing six months of alcohol and behavioural counseling, Gooding Jr was permitted to withdraw his guilty plea and instead pleaded guilty to a non-criminal harassment violation – wiping his criminal record clean and preventing further penalties.

However, both women have now launched civil lawsuits seeking damages for lost wages, emotional distress, punitive damages, liquidated damages and attorneys’ fees over the incidents.

Gloria Allred, the lawyer representing the two women, said they were “deprived of the justice they sought in the criminal case,” Deadline reported.

“They are now seeking justice and accountability in their civil cases. We are proud of their courage and intend to vigorously fight for them until they win the justice that they deserve,” she added.

Representatives for Gooding Jr have been contacted for comment.