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 Gooding was charged with one misdemeanor count of forcible
touching in June after an unidentified woman said the actor had
touched her breasts in a Manhattan bar. He has denied the
allegation and faces a maximum sentence of up to a year in
prison if found guilty.
The new charges, which are not yet public, are part of the same
criminal case but stem from a separate incident, according to
the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance.
Gooding is scheduled to enter his plea in Manhattan Supreme
Court.
Gooding, 51, won a supporting actor Oscar in 1997 for "Jerry
Maguire" and is known for roles in films including "A Few Good
Men" and "The Butler" and in the television miniseries "The
People v. O.J. Simpson."
Gooding had been scheduled to go to trial on the original
charges Thursday, but the additional charges mean the trial will
be delayed. A new date has not yet been set.
"It's very obvious to us that the District Attorney has failed
to establish evidence that would have resulted in a conviction"
on the original charges, Heller said Monday in an interview.
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Heller said he believed prosecutors were trying to delay the case by
bringing the new charges.
"We're very confident that the case will be dismissed," he said.
Gooding, who is divorced, is one of dozens of men in politics,
entertainment, sports and the business world who have been accused
of sexual misconduct since allegations against movie producer Harvey
Weinstein triggered the #MeToo movement.
Weinstein is to stand trial in New York later this year on charges
of rape and assault involving two women. He has denied any
non-consensual sex.
(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder
and Steve Orlofsky)
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