Cuba Gooding Jr.’s bar confrontation case may come to an end relatively soon, as the bartender reportedly dropped the battery charges.
Managers at the Old Absinthe House in New Orleans told the Associated Press that the bartender who claimed Gooding pushed her, no longer plans to press charges. The restaurant said that they plan to continue to investigate the incident.
“The witness indeed has indicated that she is likely to drop the charges,” city spokesman Ryan Berni said in a statement to the Associated Press. “If she does, and after prosecutors review the evidence, a determination will be made as to whether to dismiss the charges.”
On Wednesday, Gooding met with New Orleans authorities after police announced that an arrest warrant for the actor was issued over a reported bar confrontation, which his rep called a “misunderstanding.”
A female bartender at the French Quarter venue had told officers that around 3 a.m. on Tuesday, the 44-year-old “Jerry Maguire” star had become aggravated about being asked to take photos with customers and had pushed her away when she tried to calm him down. She said that a co-worker called 911 and when she told Gooding Jr. that the police were coming and that he needed to leave, he pushed her again.
Police said in a statement that a battery warrant was issued for the actor. However, his rep said in a statement to OnTheRedCarpet.com on Wednesday, August 1: “There is no warrant. Mr. Gooding, his representative and the New Orleans authorities met this morning and are moving swiftly to resolve this misunderstanding.”
The New Orleans Police Department also said in a statement that the group made contact with Gooding’s attorney on Tuesday afternoon. A police spokesperson added that the actor’s arraignment is scheduled at a New Orleans court on Friday at 8:30 a.m. local time and he is expected to plead no contest.
Gooding Jr. is in New Orleans filming Lee Daniel’s new movie “The Butler.” Photographs of him on the set surfaced online, including on the website of the UK newspaper The Daily Mail.
The 2013 film is about a butler who worked for eight U.S. presidents and also stars Robin Williams, Liam Neeson, Oprah Winfrey, Alan Rickman, Minka Kelly, Alex Pettyfer, Forest Whitaker, John Cusack, Jane Fonda, Terrence Howard, Lenny Kravitz, Melissa Leo, James Marsden and “True Blood” actor Nelsan Ellis, who was recently cast as Martin Luther King Jr, according to Deadline. Gooding Jr.’s role has not been disclosed.
(Pictured above: Cuba Gooding Jr. attends The Friars Club and Friars Foundation Honor of Tom Cruise at The Waldorf-Astoria on Tuesday, June 12, 2012, in New York.)