Cuba Gooding Jr is being accused of sexual assault in a music producer's US$30 million (S$40 million) lawsuit against Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
The actor, 56, has been named in an amended version of the suit filed on Monday (March 25), which now lists him as a defendant in the case.
Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones Jr first filed his lawsuit at a New York federal court against his former employer Diddy, 54, in February, accusing the rapper and business mogul in his civil complaint of sexually harassing, drugging and threatening him for more than a year.
Cuba was mentioned in the original filing, but a new version of the suit naming him as a defendant came to light on Monday, with its contents reported by Page Six.
In the complaint, Rodney claims Oscar-winning Jerry Maguire star Cuba began "touching, groping, and fondling his legs, his upper inner thighs near his groin, the small of his back near his buttocks, and his shoulders" while they were on a yacht in the US Virgin Islands rented by Diddy in January last year.
The producer said he was convinced Diddy was "grooming him" to "pass him off to his friends" when he introduced him to Cuba — and allegedly "suggested that Cuba 'get to know' Mr Jones better".
Rodney said he was left "extremely uncomfortable" and "rejected Cuba's advances" — but added the actor "did not stop" until he "forcibly pushed him away".
Diddy's adult son Justin, as well as his chief of staff Kristina Khorram and Universal Music Group CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, are also named as defendants in Rodney's updated lawsuit.
Diddy's lawyer Shawn Holley said in a statement at the time of Rodney's original filing: "'Lil Rod' is nothing more than a liar who filed a US$30 million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday.
"His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines.
"We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies. "Our attempts to share this proof with Mr Jones' attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr Blackburn refuses to return our calls.
"We will address these outlandish allegations in court and take all appropriate action against those who make them."
On Monday, two of Diddy's mansions were raided by federal agents, with a Homeland Security Investigations spokesperson saying it was "part of an ongoing investigation".
Cuba has previously faced sexual assault allegations, and in April 2022 pleaded guilty to one count of forcibly touching a woman at a New York City rooftop bar in 2018.
June 2023 saw the actor settle a 2020 lawsuit brought against him, in which he was accused of raping a woman twice in 2013.
ALSO READ: Sean 'Diddy' Combs' properties in Los Angeles and Miami raided by federal agents
