It appears that we are in an era where people generally speak up, especially about issues of assault, whether sexual, physical, or even verbal.
No matter how long ago the assault happened, it is still considered legit once the victim comes out to speak about it and the abuser can equally be charged once he or she is found culpable.
Recently, Diddy was in the news when his ex-girlfriend, Cassandra Ventura, famed as Cassie, filed a lawsuit against him for consistently abusing her since they met in 2005. Cassie added that the renowned rapper was constantly plying her with drugs and forcing her to have sex with numerous male prostitutes while he recorded.
However several African-American celebrities in Hollywood have also found themselves in the heart of such assault cases. Some of these allegations were found to be false while in other cases, however, those who were found guilty have found themselves in the grips of the law.
Here are five Black Hollywood stars who have been accused of assault:
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Jonathan Majors
Rising Hollywood star, Jonathan Majors was recently in the news over an alleged case of strangulation, assault, and harassment by his girlfriend.
Mr. Majors, who starred in Creed III and was set to feature in many Marvel films, was arrested in March after the woman, Grace Jabbari, told police that he assaulted her during a cab trip to his Manhattan residence. According to court papers, Ms. Jabbari, who had been in a relationship with Majors for several years, claimed he smacked her face, put his hands on her neck, and forcibly seized her hand.
Prosecutors provided an amended version of the event two months later, in which Ms. Jabbari no longer accused Majors of grabbing her neck, but rather of pushing her into a car. She insisted that he hit her in the face and that the actor only grasped her middle finger, not her entire hand. The case is still in court.
Snoop Dogg
Veteran rapper and actor, Snoop Dogg was in 2022 accused of sexual assault by a woman who was his former backup dancer. The woman filed a lawsuit against the rapper, alleging he assaulted her in 2013. Snoop Dogg was being sued for sexual assault and battery.
Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons, an American entrepreneur, writer, and film producer, has been accused of rape by over a dozen women since former model Keri Claussen Khalighi first came forward in 2017. She met the Nutty Professor producer during a casting call in 1991 and said he forced himself on her after being invited to see a music video he was working on with director Brett Ratner, who was allegedly in the next room at the time of the incident.
Simmons in a statement claimed he passed a lie detector test on the alleged rape accusations, stating that, “I vehemently deny all the allegations made against me. They have shocked me to my core as I have never been abusive or violent in any way in my relations with women.”
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Cuba Gooding Jr., a well-known Hollywood actor, in 2020 resolved a lawsuit accusing him of alleged rape seven years prior. Per court records, the actor made a deal with the nameless woman just before his trial was supposed to begin. According to the judge’s ruling, the lady would have had to divulge her identity throughout the trial.
In the original lawsuit, the woman claimed that Gooding Jr. had invited her to his hotel room, where he undressed in front of her and then raped her twice. She wanted compensation and punitive damages, alleging a “crime of violence” based on gender. However, Gooding Jr.’s lawyer denied the allegations, stating that there was no criminal conduct and that the case should be dismissed. The actor has previously been accused of sexual assault, including touching a lady at a rooftop club in 2019. He eventually pleaded guilty to one of the charges.
Bill Cosby
American Comedian and veteran sitcom star, Bill Cosby was slapped with allegations dating back to December 1965. The rumours began in the 1980s, but it wasn’t until 2004 that a former Temple University employee, Andrea Constand, openly addressed the issue. While criminal charges were not pursued owing to a lack of evidence, she did initiate a civil complaint, which resulted in a $3.38 million settlement.
60 women came forward alleging Cosby had drugged and raped them. In Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, the Constand case was reopened, and he was charged with three charges of aggravated indecent assault, was found guilty, and sentenced to three to 10 years in prison. In 2021, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned his conviction because District Attorney Bruce Castor had made a promise to Cosby to not prosecute him if he testified in the Constand case. He is now out of prison.
A fresh accuser came forward in 2023, claiming that Cosby drugged and assaulted her on the set of The Cosby Show in 1992.