Cuba Gooding Jr. today turned himself into police in New York City after a woman accused him of groping her at a nightclub over the weekend.
CNN reports the actor surrendered to the NYPD for questioning over the matter, before pleading not guilty to a charge of misdemeanour forcible touching at a Manhattan court.
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. is led from the special victims unit in handcuffs on his way to court in Lower Manhattan after being charged with misdemeanor forcible touching. Updates: https://t.co/q9BLvpVkZc pic.twitter.com/oGksFVbYtS
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) June 13, 2019
Gooding Jr. was released with his next court appearance scheduled for June 26.
If found guilty, he could face up to a year behind bars.
Citing an unnamed law enforcement source with knowledge of the matter, CNN reports a 29-year-old woman accused Gooding Jr. of grabbing her breast at Manhattan’s Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge on Sunday.
The source said the woman argued over the alleged encounter before she left and called 911, leading to an NYPD Special Victims Unit investigation.
Gooding Jr.’s lawyer Mark Heller addressed reporters after the arrest, vouching for his client’s innocence and saying security footage disproved the allegation.
“Mr. Gooding has not acted inappropriately in any shape or form,” he said.
“Nothing in the video could even be considered ambiguous and I, frankly, am shocked and horrified that this case is being prosecuted.”
Cuba Gooding Jr.’s lawyer: “I am completely confident that he will be totally exonerated” https://t.co/u5ackWE4Gs pic.twitter.com/bqbC43FAXs
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 13, 2019
Heller also disputed a second reported allegation against his client, said to be made by a woman who accused Gooding Jr. of groping her buttocks at a NYC restaurant in 2008.
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