Cuba Gooding Jr. faces new accusations of sexual misconduct as lawsuits from two women with previous criminal allegations have been filed against the actor in New York Supreme Court. Jasmine Abbay and Kelsey Harbert both filed separate lawsuits on Wednesday, November 7.
Abbay and Harbert are claiming that Gooding “sexually assaulted and battered” them in incidents that occurred in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The women are seeking damages for lost wages and emotional distress, as well as punitive damages and attorneys’ fees. Both women filed their claims under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which will close on November 23, 2023, on the Thanksgiving holiday.
Abbay alleges that she was assaulted by Gooding as a result of his previous criminal charge of forcible touching at a nightclub in 2018. Gooding pleaded guilty to this charge in April, narrowly avoiding jail time.
Similarly, Harbert states that she was assaulted and battered by Gooding in an incident at a rooftop bar in 2019. She maintains that Gooding subjected her to “non-consensual physical contact,” for which he had pleaded guilty to at a previous hearing in April 2022.
In addition to these new allegations, Gooding recently settled a sexual assault lawsuit with a woman who claimed he raped her in a New York City hotel in 2013. This settlement came after Gooding had insisted that the encounter was consensual and will bring an end to the civil rape case the woman had filed, which sought $6 million in damages.
The actor’s representation has yet to comment on these new lawsuits, and details surrounding these allegations remain under litigation with the New York Supreme Court.
For support as a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through their National Sexual Assault Hotline and online services.