In the 90s, Cuba Gooding Jr. was a huge name in the entertainment world. He started out on several TV shows before landing his breakout role in “Boyz n the Hood.” In 1997, he won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for playing Rod Tidwell in “Jerry Maguire.” His energetic performance and the iconic line “Show me the money” quickly became part of pop culture. After his Oscar win, he was treated like Hollywood royalty. Denzel Washington called to congratulate him, Quincy Jones sent champagne and welcomed him into the family, and even Sidney Poitier reached out.
With his newfound fame, he was able to support his entire family financially, buying homes for his mom and mother-in-law. He lived the high life, flying in private jets and riding in limos. But just as quickly as he rose to superstardom, his career took a downturn. To this day, he blames himself for how things turned out, saying, “I became Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr., so I was too precious about that title.”
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After his Oscar win, Jerry Maguire director Cameron Crowe advised Cuba Gooding Jr. to only work with top-notch directors. But did Cuba take his advice? Not at all. Offers came flooding in from big names like Steven Spielberg, who wanted him for Amistad, and Michael Mann, who wanted him for Collateral, but Cuba turned them down. He even declined a role in Hotel Rwanda with Terry George and passed on the lead in The Last King of Scotland because the character was a villain. Forest Whitaker took that role and ended up winning an Oscar, Golden Globe, and SAG Award.
Cuba was also considered for the lead roles in Ray and Ali but turned those down too. He told The Guardian that after reading all the scripts he declined, he thought, “I don’t think this part is right for me.” He added that it wasn’t about the money; he felt he was “protecting the sanctity of that golden statue” and wanted to show people he could do more and do better.
Going Broke
Cuba didn’t realize that turning down offers from big-name directors would offend the industry. Eventually, the higher-ups got so fed up they took him off their lists. And what happened then? The gigs dried up. He told The Guardian he went broke. For about a decade, he was blacklisted. To make ends meet, he had to accept roles he wasn’t passionate about. There was no shortage of work as a B-list actor, but his performances in straight-to-DVD films were forgettable, like his role in the 2009 film Wrong Turn at Tahoe. Looking back, Cuba now understands he made a huge mistake turning down those big directors. Thankfully, a new crop of directors gave him a chance. He appeared in The Butler, Selma, and played the lead role in The People v. O.J. Simpson. While his career was getting back on track, his personal life was falling apart. Rumors swirled about him battling personal demons, and fans recounted stories of Cuba being combative in bars and acting inappropriately with women.
Divorce
Sarah, his wife of 20 years and mother of his three children, filed for legal separation in 2014. As soon as the news broke, Cuba’s secrets started spilling out. A cocktail waitress named Elise Lamotte claimed she had slept with Cuba three times right after he married his wife. Actress Jeanette Carr claimed they had an affair in 1996. Despite these revelations, Cuba and Sarah were still seen out together. He told Steve Harvey, “You know how marriages go; sometimes you take a break or two. Took my wife on a date the other day, took her to see a movie. Yeah. We’ve got kids, man. We’ve got to keep this together strong.” But unfortunately, Sarah changed her mind about the separation and filed for divorce in December 2016. As of now, their divorce is still pending. Four months after Sarah filed for divorce, Cuba’s dad, Cuba Gooding Sr., was found dead in his car at 72. Although alcohol and drugs were found in the vehicle, the cause of death was later determined to be natural causes. “The loss of any parent, you feel a part of you dies with them.”
Dating Scandal
In 2018, Cuba Gooding Jr. began dating Claudine De Niro, who was estranged from Raphael De Niro, Robert De Niro’s son. With Claudine by his side, Cuba continued to attract attention for his erratic behavior. TMZ released a video allegedly showing the accuser sitting next to Gooding and his girlfriend. In the footage, Gooding appears to place his hand on the woman’s thigh and then move it near her chest. Despite his efforts to rebuild his image, 2019 brought more trouble as several women accused him of inappropriate behavior. One anonymous source told the New York Post that Cuba approached her and her friends, placing his hands in uncomfortable places. Another woman claimed that Cuba asked if she enjoyed having a thumb shoved “where the sun doesn’t shine.”
Legal Troubles
Cuba’s attorney described him to the Times as “very, very outgoing. He’s very friendly. He’s very jovial. I guess the word is sometimes he’s frisky, but he’s not inappropriate.” However, the legal system saw things differently. Cuba was indicted on several charges and faced multiple civil lawsuits. In June 2021, a New York bartender won a default judgment after accusing Cuba of pinching her bottom. The following month, another default judgment was awarded to a second woman after Cuba failed to respond to the lawsuit. Cuba has since filed a motion to have the judgment vacated so he could properly defend himself, and the case is still pending. As of June 2021, the number of alleged victims reached 30, including one woman who claims he committed an act against her without her consent at a Soho hotel. In April 2022, Cuba accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to kissing a waitress on the lips without her consent. As part of the deal, he will undergo counseling. Despite these setbacks, Cuba and Claudine remain close and have been spotted at parties and on romantic vacations around the world. It seems that Cuba is following his mother’s advice: “You have a God-given joy; don’t ever let people take that from you.”