Cuba Gooding Jr. is being sued by two women for alleged sexual misconduct.
In lawsuits filed in the New York Supreme Court on Wednesday, one woman accused the Jerry Maguire actor of forcibly kissing her without her consent in 2018 while she was working as a cocktail waitress at the Lavo nightclub in Manhattan.
The second woman accused the Oscar-winning actor of groping her breast at the Magic Hour rooftop bar in the Big Apple in 2019.
Accusations by the plaintiffs and a third woman were the basis for a criminal prosecution against Gooding Jr. last year.
He was expected to go to trial over allegations of unwanted sexual touching but pleaded guilty to one count of forcible touching in relation to the 2018 kissing claim as part of a plea deal.
Gloria Allred, who is representing the two plaintiffs, said in a statement on Wednesday, "Our clients were deprived of the justice they sought in the criminal case. They are now seeking justice and accountability in their civil cases. We are proud of their courage and intend to vigorously fight for them until they win the justice that they deserve."
Both women are seeking unspecified damages for assault and battery, lost wages, emotional distress and physical injury, and attorneys' fees.
The 55-year-old pleaded guilty to forcibly touching in April 2022. Six months later, the charge was downgraded to harassment as he had complied with the terms of his plea deal, which included alcohol and behaviour counselling. He admitted to the count and subsequently avoided jail time in October 2022.
The lawsuits were filed under New York's Adult Survivors Act, which allows people to sue their alleged abusers even if the statute of limitations has run out.
The deadline for filing civil claims expires this week and has led to a wave of sexual misconduct lawsuits against celebrities including Jamie Foxx, Axl Rose and music executive Jimmy Iovine.
Rose denied the allegation and a spokesperson for Iovine said he was "quite shocked and baffled" by the claim. Foxx has yet to publicly address the lawsuit.
