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In the Oscar winner’s guilty plea, Gooding, 54, admitted that he “kissed the waitress on her lips” inside the LAVO New York restaurant and nightclub without consent.
The plea deal, made Wednesday, is for no jail time, according to theAssociated PressandThe New York Times. Additionally, provided he attends six months of counseling, he can instead plead guilty to harassment at a lower level than misdemeanor.
“I apologize for ever making anybody feel inappropriately touched,” Gooding told the courtroom, per theTimes.
A rep for Gooding did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Back in June 2019, Goodingturned himself into the New York Police Department following allegations thathe groped a womanat a rooftop bar in Manhattan. The woman said Gooding was “highly intoxicated” at the time of the incident and groped her breasts at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar and Lounge in Manhattan. Two more accusations came out months later, one of which is the one he pleaded guilty to.
If the long-delayed case went to trial, prosecutors were planning to call 19 witnesses with similar accusations against Gooding to show a pattern of alleged behavior, the AP reported.
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Separately, in 2020, Goodingwas accused of raping a womantwice in 2013 inside his New York City hotel room. He has denied the claims and the case is ongoing.
Some of Gooding’s most recent major roles include O.J. Simpson inAmerican Crime Story: The People v. O.J.andAmerican Horror Story: Roanoke, both released in 2016.
In January, Gooding’s 25-year-old son Mason Gooding, who stars on Hulu’sLove, Victorand in the recentScreamfilm, addressed the allegations made about his dad, tellingThe Hollywood Reporter, “I couldn’t be more grateful to live in a time in which someone — man, woman, anyone — would feel comfortable speaking about their experiences. I also love my father, and given who he is and how he raised me, I’m happy to say, nothing I’ve read, heard or had discussed with me has been in line with any way I’ve known him to behave.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
