NEW YORK, Sept 4 — Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr’s trial over accusations he groped a woman in New York was adjourned yesterday until next month after prosecutors asked for more time to prepare their case.
The trial of the Jerry Maguire star was scheduled to start yesterday but a state criminal court judge granted a prosecution request that it be delayed until October 10.
Gooding’s lawyer Mark Heller told reporters after the short hearing that he was extremely confident the case would be dismissed, describing the allegations as “totally unfounded”.
“We are confident this will become a hallmark case for the #NotMe movement,” he said, using a term he coined to refer to celebrities who are falsely accused of sexual offenses.
Gooding, 51, is accused of grabbing the woman’s breast without her consent in a Manhattan bar on a night out in June.
He is charged with forcible touching and could face up to a year in prison if convicted.
Gooding won an Academy Award in 1997 for his performance as a football player in Jerry Maguire.
He recently played OJ Simpson in The People vs OJ Simpson: American Crime Story. — AFP
