Cuba Gooding Jr. has dodged a bullet. The Oscar winning actor, who was accused of shoving a bartender, will not have to face misdemeanor battery charges because his accuser has dropped the charges.
According to Huffington Post, the New Orleans city attorney’s office was forced to drop charges against Gooding after no one showed up to press a complaint at the arraignment hearing held Friday, August 3, 2012.
A female bartender at the Old Absinthe House told police Cuba Gooding Jr. shoved her twice after she requested he calm down or leave the premise. She said the Jerry McGuire star got irate when patrons at the bar began taking pictures of him.
Gooding won the 1997 Academy Award for best supporting actor for his portrayal of a fictional professional football player in Jerry Maguire, which also stared Tom Cruise.
The actor is currently in New Orleans filming Lee Daniel’s The Butler, a movie that tells the story of a White House butler who served eight American presidents. Cuba Gooding Jr. stars alongside Nicole Kidman, Liam Neeson, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Robin Williams, Alex Pettyfer and Minka Kelly.