Cuba Gooding Jr. to turn himself in to police over groping charge

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. will turn himself in to police over allegations he groped a woman at a Manhattan night spot, his lawyer said Wednesday. The Oscar-winning star of “Jerry Maguire” is expected to face a charge stemming from an alleged incident over the weekend at Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge, lawyer Mark Heller said.

Gooding will surrender Thursday to the NYPD special victims unit that’s leading the investigation before going to court for an arraignment, according to Heller said. The lawyer expected Gooding to make a statement to the media before getting booked.

A 29-year-old woman told police Gooding grabbed her breast while he was intoxicated around 11:15 p.m. Sunday. Gooding, 51, has denied the allegations. He told TMZ that he was at the bar partying with friends but didn’t touch anyone. 

“I trust the system and will let the process speak for itself,” Gooding said. There’s a tape that shows what really happened and that’s the most important thing — let’s not take away from that.”

Cuba Gooding Jr. attends the “Rocketman” premiere on May 29, 2019 in New York City. Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty

Video posted on social media show Gooding at Magic Hour on Sunday night singing the Journey hit “Faithfully” and posing for pictures with fans. The bar, on the roof of the Moxy Hotel south of Times Square, features a mini-golf course and sweeping views of the Empire State Building and other Big Apple landmarks.

Gooding, a Bronx native, rose to fame after starring in “Boyz N the Hood” in 1991.

Six years later, he won an Oscar for his role as a professional football player in “Jerry Maguire.” His signature line, “Show me the money,” became a popular catchphrase.

Gooding was nominated for an Emmy Award last year for playing O.J. Simpson in the FX series “The People v. O.J. Simpson” and recently appeared on Broadway and London’s West End as lawyer Billy Flynn in “Chicago.”