Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. reportedly pleaded guilty Wednesday to one misdemeanor charge of forcible touching after a woman accused him of non-consensual contact in an NYC nightclub back in 2018.
The “Radio” star also apologized for the first time to two other women who accused him of non-consensual contact in October 2018 and June 2019. The admission was a part of a plea deal made Wednesday, which came almost three years after Gooding was arrested.
“I apologize for making anybody ever feel inappropriately touched,” he said. “I am a celebrity figure. I come into contact with people. I never want them to feel slighted or uncomfortable in any way.”
Under the terms of the plea, Gooding can avoid jail time if he attends “alcohol and behavior modification” counseling for six months and has no new arrests. Following that, he can plead to harassment lower level than a misdemeanor and potentially have his case sealed. If he does not comply, he could face up to one year in jail.
The 54-year-old turned himself in back in June 2019 following allegations that he groped a woman without her consent at a rooftop bar near Times Square. A month later, two additional accusations came out, one of which is the one he pleaded guilty to.
