LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Cuba Gooding Jr is facing renewed allegations of sexual abuse by Jasmine Abbay and Kelsey Harbert. His two accusers previous allegations had led to a criminal prosecution that ended with him pleading guilty, with no jail time.
Abbay and Harbert sued the Oscar-winning actor for sexual assault and battery in two separate lawsuits filed in the New York Supreme Court on Wednesday, November 22.
The plaintiffs, who had previously sued Gooding in 2022, claim the actor’s behavior was “malicious, willful (and) outrageous.” They are now seeking liquidated damages, punitive damages, attorneys' costs, and damages for mental anguish and lost earnings.
The women filed their claims under the expired Adult Survivors Act of New York, which allowed victims of sexual assault to bring suits that would have otherwise been time-barred for up to a year, according to the Guardian.
“Our clients were deprived of the justice they sought in the criminal case,” Gloria Allred, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in a statement, adding “They are now seeking justice and accountability in their civil cases.”
Jasmine Abbay accuses Cuba Gooding of sexually assaulting her in 2018
Not much is known about Abbay but her lawsuit claims that she was working as a cocktail waitress at LAVO restaurant and nightclub in New York City when she met Gooding in September 2018.
She was assigned to Gooding's table after a request from her co-worker, who allegedly had been subjected to the actor’s “inappropriate behavior years before.”
According to the lawsuit, Abbay was serving drinks to Gooding when he kissed her and “forced his tongue in her mouth.” As a result of the incident, Gooding was charged with forcible touching to which he pleaded guilty as a misdemeanor in April 2022.
The plea allowed the actor to avoid jail time, fulfilling a conditional agreement that saw Gooding plead to charges involving just one of what prosecutors said were allegations from at least 30 women, many at New York City nightspots, according to USA Today.
In order to avoid additional consequences and wipe his criminal record, Gooding was allowed to enter a plea of guilty to a noncriminal harassing infraction after completing six months of alcohol and behavioral treatment and remaining out of trouble.
In her 2023 lawsuit, Abbay claims that she was “sexually assaulted and battered” by Gooding as a result of his forcible touching.
She also claims to have suffered from "psychological trauma, emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment, and humiliation" among other injuries.
Kelsey Harbert says Cuba Gooding battered her in 2019
The complaint states that Harbert initially met Gooding at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge in June 2019 after approaching his girlfriend in the venue’s rooftop area.
Shortly after Harbert took a seat across from Gooding's girlfriend, Gooding allegedly placed his hand on her thigh and proceeded to touch her left breast.
According to the complaint, Harbert grabbed Gooding’s hand in an attempt to remove it from her breast. But the actor reportedly grabbed Harbert's hand, placed it to his mouth, and attempted to kiss it. It is said that the actor was "heavily intoxicated" at the time of the occurrence.
Soon after the interaction, Harbert reported it to the police, and according to the report, on June 13, 2019, Gooding was taken into custody on a charge of forceful contact.
A few months later, more women came forward to report Abbay's forced touching case, and he was prosecuted in two more incidents.
Gooding admitted to subjecting Harbert to "non-consensual physical contact" during a plea hearing in April 2022, as per her complaint.
However, in her new lawsuit, Harbert claims that she was “sexually assaulted and battered” by Gooding as a result of his forcible touching. She also alleges she’s sustained injuries including “psychological trauma, emotional distress, mental anguish, embarrassment and humiliation.”
