Having starred in acclaimed, iconic movies such as Boyz n the Hood and Jerry Maguire, actor Cuba Gooding Jr. should be raking in millions and living the high life. But as his character, Rob Tidwell, says in the latter movie, "I got a shelf life of ten years, tops." Perhaps this was an omen of what was to come.In recent years, Gooding Jr. has faded from our collective memory. Unlike his Jerry Maguire co-star Tom Cruise, the once eminent actor is struggling in more ways than one. Like many other allegedly problematic individuals in Hollywood, Gooding Jr.'s name is now synonymous with the MeToo movement. Here's everything we know about what happened to the once shining star.
10 He Was Once Known As An A-List Oscar-Winner
In 1997, Cuba Gooding Jr. won an Oscar for his performance in Jerry Maguire. Impressively, he went home with the prestigious gold statue, whereas his co-star Tom Cruise went home empty handed.
That year, he starred in As Good as It Gets, alongside Jack Nicholson, and was praised for his performance.
9 Failure After Failure
Following his Oscar win, it looked as though the only way was up for Gooding Jr. But that was not the case. After trying his hand at comedy with Rat Race (yes, the movie that spawned a thousand Smash Mouth memes), the actor simply couldn't catch a break.
He has been on a constant career decline at the box office, appearing in flops such as Boat Trip (2002) and Dirty (2005), which grossed a measly $274,245 against a budget of $3 million. Even worse is that Gooding Jr. actually rejected all manner of acclaimed movies: "I said 'no' to Amistad, I said 'no' to Hotel Rwanda and the list goes on and on and on," the actor said.
8 He Played This Famous Republican
These days, a sign of acting greatness is making the successful transition from movies to TV (see: Kate Winslet in Mare of Easttown), but this is most certainly a new phenomenon and things were quite different in 2009.
Gooding Jr. played neurosurgeon and Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson in Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, which is admittedly a rather cringy title.
7 But Ended Up In The Straight To DVD Aisle
Alas, playing the prominent Republican physician was not the comeback that Gooding Jr. so desperately needed. Subsequently, he ended up in the straight to DVD aisle with critically panned fare such as Hardwired, alongside fellow former A-lister Van Kilmer, and action thriller The Hit List.
In fact, he appeared in a whopping 17 direct to DVD movies.
6 His Wife Left Him
To make matters worse, his high school sweetheart and wife of 22 years, Sara Kapfer, filed for legal separation from Gooding Jr. in 2014, taking the couple's 3 kids with her. They divorced in 2017.
It is not clear why Kapfer sought a legal separation, but she cited irreconcilable differences and there are also rumors that Gooding Jr. was having extramarital affairs.
5 Ryan Murphy Helped Him Bounce Back
Ryan Murphy is the man to go to if you want to revitalize your acting career. Just look at Jessica Lange. Thankfully, Murphy was also able to breathe new life into Gooding Jr.'s career via a role in American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson as the titular accused murderer.
There was only one problem: while all the other actors received glowing praise from the critics, Gooding Jr.'s performance was deemed the exception to the outstanding cast. As the Guardian wrote, "Just about every casting decision is spot on" but "What I can't abide by is the central performance in this passion play: Cuba Gooding Jr as OJ Simpson."
4 He Tried His Hand At Directing
Following his many acting fails, Gooding Jr. tried to salvage his career by stepping behind the camera instead. In 2018, he made his directorial debut with Bayou Caviar, starring Hollywood veteran Richard Dreyfuss.
Unfortunately, this also proved unsuccessful. The movie holds a rating of just 20% on Rotten Tomatoes.
3 MeToo: The Allegations Begin
In 2019, the moment that the actor dreaded the most came: he was accused of sexual misconduct. It all started with allegations that he inappropriately touched women without their consent in a nightclub. But those first 3 allegations doubled, and doubled, and now 30 women have come forward to accuse the actor of sexual harassment and assault.
2 He Was Charged With Assault
A year later, the actor was charged with 6 counts of forcible touching and assault by New York police. He has pled not guilty. It is believed that he will likely face more charges in the coming months as more women decide to press charges.
1 And He Is Awaiting Trial
After standing trial earlier this year, Cuba Gooding Jr. has lost his case in a groping lawsuit. Natasha Ashworth won the lawsuit in which she alleged that the actor repeatedly groped her in a nightclub.
However, his other cases are yet to be resolved. For instance, he has been accused of raping a woman at a hotel in 2013 and the case is currently awaiting a jury trial.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiuoZmkYrK3sdFmn5qooJq7prCMraZmm6WXrm6zzqiboqaXYrezew%3D%3D