*Cuba Gooding Jr. was arrested and charged with forcible touching –which is a misdemeanor — after he turned himself into the Manhattan Special Victims Unit on Thursday.
The Bronx-born actor walked free without bail after pleading not guilty to charges of sexual abuse Thursday evening — and he greeted reporters outside the Manhattan criminal court.
“It’s been a long day,” Gooding Jr. said, before showing support for shooting victim and former baseball star David Ortiz.
“Get well, Big Papi!” he said, using the nickname of Ortiz, who was wounded in an attempted hit Sunday in his native Dominican Republic.
OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Cuba Gooding Jr. ‘Trusted the System’ and Turned Himself in … and Still Got Arrested (But At Least He’s Smiling)
Really? A perp walk for @Cubagooding_jr for a MISDEMEANOR? I’m not dismissing what he is accused of, but really, y’all? Stop trippin. https://t.co/mL7mCVOfbu
— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) June 14, 2019
Gooding is accused of groping a woman at a rooftop bar in Midtown. But his legal team tells ET they reviewed surveillance video from the venue and say it does not show any crime had been committed.
Gooding denies the charges of sexual abuse and forcible touching levied against him by prosecutors.
The arraignment documents include complaint language, which states: “I am informed by an individual known to the District Attorney’s office that she observed the defendant place his hand on her breast and squeeze. I am further informed by this individual that she did not consent to the defendant touching her breast.”
Video captured the moment Gooding was led from the special victims unit in handcuffs on his way to court in Lower Manhattan after being charged.
“Really? A perp walk for @Cubagooding_jr for a MISDEMEANOR? I’m not dismissing what he is accused of, but really, y’all? Stop trippin,” Roland Martin wrote on Twitter.
Gooding is due back in court on June 26.
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