Entertainment

Cuba Gooding Jr. Enters Plea To New Charges In Sexual Abuse Case

Alec Tabak/Pool via REUTERS

Katie Jerkovich Entertainment Reporter
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Cuba Gooding Jr. pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan courthouse Tuesday to two new charges filed in his sexual abuse case.

The 51-year-old actor arrived at the courthouse with his hands in handcuffs as he was flanked by New York Police detectives along with his lawyers Mark Heller and Peter Toumbekis to enter his plea at his arraignment, according to CNN. (RELATED: Cuba Gooding Jr.’s Lawyer Claims Video Surveillance Shows No Groping Occurred)

The new charges against the “Jerry Maguire” star include forcible touching and sexual abuse in the third degree, stemming from a second accuser.

In the indictment, it claims that Gooding “pinched her buttocks” without consent and accused the actor of making sexually suggestive remarks to her at a night club. (RELATED: Cuba Gooding Jr. Charged With Forcible Touching, According To Police)

According to the report:

It’s now a four-count indictment against Gooding, which also includes the two previous misdemeanors: forcible touching and sex abuse in the third degree, related to an alleged groping incident with a different woman in June.

The indictment also includes 12 sexual misconduct allegations, none of which the “Men of Honor” star is being charged. The incidents range from 2001 to 2018, per Deadline.

Prosecutors say they included them to show a “pattern of behavior.”

“Defendant’s past behavior shows that he routinely approaches women while at bars or nightclubs with whom he has had limited or no prior interaction, and touches them inappropriately,” Deputy District Attorney Jenna Long noted.

“His prior acts demonstrate that his contacts with their intimate parts are intentional, not accidental, and that he is not mistaken about their lack of consent,” she added.

While Gooding’s lawyer Heller, claimed the uncharged acts were “a distorted overreaction pandering to the current hypersensitive climate where an innocent commonplace gestures are now misperceived and mischaracterized as offensive.”

“Cuba denies all of these allegations,” the “Radio” actor’s attorney, Heller told TMZ. “This is a typical scenario in which random people come out of the woodwork to accuse a celebrity who has already been charged. They have no credibility because Cuba was not charged with any of those allegations.”

Following the arraignment, Gooding walked out of the court free of handcuffs and was not asked to put up bail.

Gooding previously pleaded not guilty to allegations from earlier this year from when a woman accused him of touching her breast.