Cuba Gooding Jr.’s new film, The firing squadit’s about redemption – and that’s also the theme of his press tour.
In recent years, the actor best known for his Oscar-winning role in Jerry Maguire faced multiple accusations of sexual assault. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of forcible touching and is a co-defendant, alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs, in a sexual assault case. Now, while promoting the Christian film from Epoch Studios, he is addressing the allegations. Gooding said all the turmoil has made him “stronger” and he feels confident he will be welcomed back into mainstream Hollywood.
What is Gooding saying?
In a July 31 interview in News Nation’s Dan Abrams livethe host asked Gooding if he expressed “regret, sadness, apologies for what happened” and Gooding said it made him a “better person.”
“Everything that happens in my life has a reason,” Gooding responded. “I believe in this, and if I continue to follow my path, whatever it may be, I know that the end result [will] to become stronger, to be a better person, to be a better father and now that’s where I’m at.”
Gooding was confident that he would be accepted back into Hollywood’s mainstream and hired again by major film studios in the future.
“Oh, sure,” he said. “A hundred per cent. You have to remember, we in Hollywood talk to each other. We’ll see you… I’m in the Hamptons right now,” referring to the playground of the rich and famous in Long Island, N.Y. “You go to a restaurant and you walk in, when there’s a bad headline, everyone says, ‘Stay strong.’ … [People] come up to me in the street all the time and shout, ‘Show me the money’ and… ‘I see what you’re going through’.”
In an interview with Extrahe was asked about taking responsibility – and Gooding insisted he would.
“I went through my journey and understood that there are things, people and reactions in society that are changing,” he said. “Life is about adjustment. … People feel like I’m accessible to them, so I come into contact with all kinds of people, from people who adore you to people who feel offended by you, people who feel like you’re aggressive. And you need to learn that as you walk this path, you must remain neutral.”
He continued: “You need to make sure you know your intention. You have to be responsible for your own actions, and I was. People said positive and negative, but I can’t control it.”
Gooding called the sexual assault lawsuit filed against him and Diddy by music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones “the most ridiculous thing ever,” adding, “Welcome to being a celebrity! Welcome to my world.”
As for critics who find it convenient that he found faith amid the scandals, he told the channel: “It’s that old saying: you can’t please people all the time. But people who want to celebrate art, that’s my job and that’s my only mission in life.”
What was Gooding accused of?
Gooding was arrested in 2019 after a woman alleged he groped her at a New York nightclub. Two other women came forward in the criminal case with similar allegations. In 2022, Gooding pleaded guilty to a charge of forcible touching against one of the women, avoiding prison time. As part of the agreement, he admitted to subjecting the other women to non-consensual physical contact.
There were also a series of civil actions. In 2020, Gooding was sued by a Jane Doe who accused him of raping her twice in a New York City hotel room in 2013. Just as the case went to trial, in June 2023, Gooding reached a settlement last minute with the accuser.
In November 2023, before New York’s Adult Survivors Act expired, Gooding was hit with two civil sexual assault lawsuits filed by two of the victims in his criminal case. Kelsey Harbert alleged that Gooding grabbed her breast at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge in 2018. The other plaintiff is Jasmine Abbay, a waitress at the LAVO restaurant and nightclub, said Gooding forced his tongue into her mouth without her consent when she brought drinks to your table .
In March 2024, Jones named Gooding as a defendant in a civil lawsuit, alleging that the actor sexually harassed and assaulted him while on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ yacht.
What is Gooding’s new film about?
Gooding plays a drug dealer who became a Christian in The firing squad, which is based on a true story about three men facing execution and how their faith helped them through that journey.
“I read [the script] and I cried and cried and cried at the end,” Gooding said in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network. The 700 Club. “This unlocked, once again, the faith I have in God and the walk I have with him.”
Gooding talked about how the film – co-starring Kevin Sorbo and James Barrington – shows that God is with people in the worst of times: “He’s not going anywhere. … Even in the darkest hour, even in the afterlife, He is there for you… no matter what you are going through.”
Timothy Chey, the film’s writer and director, released on August 2, said in the same interview as Gooding, who he previously directed in the 2014 film Freedom, “is a changed man in Christ. He and I prayed the other day and I really felt the Holy Spirit in his fervent prayer.”
The outlet reported that Gooding’s commitment to her faith was on display at the film’s premiere. He led an “altar call” as worshipers came forward to express their commitment to their faith.
Since Gooding’s legal troubles began to surface, he has appeared in films Life in a year (2020) and The gun (2023). The firing squad is one of three films he has released this year, including previously Skeletons in the closet co-starring Terrence Howard and Fallen Angels: Warriors of Peace with Denise Richards.
