Cuba Gooding Jr. receives no jail time in groping case

Cuba Gooding
(Image credit: David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. won't be spending any time in prison after pleading guilty in his forcible touching case.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office confirmed to CNN the Oscar-winning star of Jerry Maguire will not face jail time in the case after fulfilling the terms of a previous plea agreement.

In April, Gooding Jr. pleaded guilty to forcible touching after he was accused of groping a woman at a nightclub in 2018. He admitted that he "kissed the waitress on her lips" without her consent and apologized for "ever making anybody feel inappropriately touched."

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That deal said he could enter this guilty plea as long as he wasn't arrested again and underwent alcohol and behavior counseling, according to The New York Times.

In 2020, prosecutors said 30 women had come forward to accuse Gooding Jr. of groping. Kelsey Harbert, who alleged the actor groped her at a nightclub in 2019, slammed the plea deal as "a misstep," per The Associated Press. She added, "After three long years of trying to hold Mr. Gooding accountable for touching my breast without my consent, having my day in court taken away from me is more disappointing than words can say."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.