NOTE: The article below contains sexually explicit language that might be offensive to some readers. Please read at your own discretion.
Cuba Gooding Jr. is denying blogger Claudia Oshry’s claims of sexual assault.
Days after the Radio actor was accused of grabbing a woman’s breasts at a New York City nightspot, which he denied, Oshry came forward with her own allegation against Gooding Jr. on her podcast The Morning Toast.
WATCH: Cuba Gooding Jr. reports to police, charged in New York alleged groping incident
“All I have to say is #MeToo. I feel so weird about it because at the end of the day, I don’t know if I’ve ever considered myself a victim of sexual assault because I’m not — I would never compare myself to them,” the 24-year-old blogger said. “But yes, when I was in high school — I was f–king 16 years old — Cuba Gooding Jr. put his finger up my butt, and I felt wild.”
READ MORE: Cuba Gooding Jr. charged with forcible touching: police
Gooding Jr.’s lawyer Mark Heller denied the allegations, saying: “Mr. Gooding told me such an event never happened. He doesn’t know this individual.”
Heller also disputed allegations in media reports from a second unidentified woman, who came forward shortly after the first accusation surfaced and told police that the 51-year-old actor grabbed her buttocks at a New York City restaurant in 2008.
“There is no pattern of conduct,” Heller said. “It is not uncommon for people to come out of the woodwork when these things happen.”
Oshry, who rose to fame from her Instagram account Girl With No Job, said that she had included the alleged incident as part of her routine during her Dirty Jeans comedy tour.
“You want to put your finger up my butt without my consent? Fine. But I’m going to use it for all that it’s worth,” she said. “It’s become, like, this really funny bit in my story.”
READ MORE: Drake drops 2 new songs in support of Raptors win
She said that since using the alleged incident as part of her “shtick,” other people have shared their accusations against the Jerry Maguire star.
“At the end of the day, when I tell people this at my meet-and-greets and just anyone who’s ever come to my show, there’s, like, at least once every show, someone who comes up to me, they’re like, ‘Oh my God! Me and my friends were at a club, and the same thing happened to me’ or ‘the same thing happened to my friend,'” she said.
Oshry also said: “This is not the first time that I’ve heard but this is the first time I’ve heard that police are involved.”
Gooding Jr. was charged Thursday after turning himself in to police. He was arraigned and charged with forcible touching and sexual abuse in the third degree in relation to the alleged incident at the New York City nightspot.
The Boyz N the Hood actor pleaded not guilty to both charges.
READ MORE: ‘Fake George Clooney’ arrested in Thailand over alleged clothing scam
Oshry said “good on this girl,” praising Gooding Jr.’s anonymous accuser for coming forward.
“Because how many f–king people is he going to grope before one of them calls the police? Mine was 10 years ago!” she said.
“I know why I didn’t go to the police because I was like a kid who was 16, underage at a club, and I thought I was going to get in trouble for being in the club,” she said. “So I just shut my mouth.”
READ MORE: Bonnaroo festivalgoer, 27, dies after being found unresponsive on event grounds
Gooding was involved in another alleged incident in New Orleans in 2012. In that case, a bartender claimed the actor was agitated with patrons who wanted photos with him and that he pushed her when she asked him to leave.
An arrest warrant was issued, but the bartender declined to press charges.
Gooding, a Bronx native, rose to fame after starring in Boyz N the Hood in 1991.
Gooding won an Oscar for his role as a professional football player in Jerry Maguire. He was nominated for an Emmy Award last year for playing O.J. Simpson in the FX series The People v. O.J. Simpson.
—With files from the Associated Press
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
Comments