Cuba Gooding Jr. has avoided a civil rape trial due to start today after reaching a last-minute legal settlement with the woman who claimed the Oscar-winner assaulted her in a New York City hotel a decade ago, according to court records.
The Jerry Maguire star faced allegations that he met the woman at a restaurant in Manhattan, persuaded her to join him at the Mercer Hotel in the Soho section of Manhattan and stop at his room so he could change clothing.
She said in her lawsuit Gooding then raped her anally and vaginally. The encounter occurred in 2013.
The trial was to start Tuesday with jury selection in New York federal court. The woman had proceeded anonymously until last week, when Judge Paul A. Crotty ruled that she would have to reveal her name at trial.
The actor had insisted through lawyers that his encounter with the woman was consensual after the two met at a nearby restaurant – and that she bragged to others afterwards that she had sex with a celebrity. That evidence was never made public.
The trial was scheduled to begin at 10am on Tuesday, but at 10:24am it was announced in legal documents that ‘the parties have resolved the matter.’ The exact terms of the settlement have not been released.
The lawsuit sought $6 million in damages.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Gloria Allred, who was representing the accuser, as well as Gooding’s representatives for comment.
The accuser said she met Gooding at at the Gooding at Le Souk lounge, where they chatted and eventually went back to his hotel room. Once in his hotel room, the woman said that Gooding took off his clothes, put on music, and then began to fondle her.
She says that she told him ‘no’ but Gooding continued to touch her and eventually raped her.
The lawsuit was filed against a man who authorities say has been accused of committing sexual misconduct against more than 30 other women, including groping, unwanted kissing and other inappropriate behavior.
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