Several new names have been added to the harassment lawsuits against famous figures, including Jamie Foxx, Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose, and Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr.
U.S. actor Jamie Foxx and Axl Rose were each accused of sexual assault Wednesday, part of a flurry of suits filed in New York before a statute of limitations deadline.
In the filing against Rose, Sheila Kennedy, an actor and model, alleges that he "sexually assaulted her" in 1989 and that she "did not consent and felt overpowered."
The alleged victim in the Foxx case, identified only as Jane Doe, said that Foxx "intentionally and without consent used force to offensively touch" her at a rooftop bar in Manhattan in 2015.
Both filings note that they are being submitted pursuant to the New York Adult Survivors Act, a law that had opened the door for sexual assault suits on cases that otherwise happened too far in the past to litigate.
The 61-year-old lead singer of the heavy rock band famous for albums like "Appetite for Destruction," has yet to comment publicly.
He had attended the Las Vegas Formula One Grand Prix over the weekend, ahead of the complaint being lodged with a New York court.
The incident is alleged to have happened in a New York hotel room after the pair met in a nightclub.
The civil case calls for Rose, whose real name is William Bruce Rose, to face a jury trial, and for the jury to award Kennedy "punitive damages."
In the complaint, Rose is alleged to have forced intercourse with Kennedy. Kennedy's lawyers say she "believed Rose would physically attack her, or worse if she said no or attempted to push him away."
"Rose used his fame, status and power as a celebrity and performer in the music industry to gain access to manipulate, control and violently assault Kennedy," the complaint claims.
Guns N' Roses is best known for hits such as "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Sweet Child O' Mine."
'Permanently' affected
In the Foxx case, his accuser says the Oscar-winning actor, now age 55, grabbed her by the "arm and pulled her to the back area of the rooftop" after meeting her at the bar.
Once there, he allegedly proceeded to grope the plaintiff until a friend came looking for her.
She also calls for Foxx, whose real name is Eric Marlon Bishop, to face a jury trial that could award punitive damages.
The suit says the plaintiff "will permanently be affected by the injuries and emotional distress she incurred as a result of the sexual assault, abuse, assault and battery."
Foxx, who in addition to acting is a comedian and Grammy-winning singer, won an Academy Award in 2005 for the Ray Charles musical biopic "Ray." He was nominated for an Oscar for "Collateral" that same year.
Wednesday's suits follow a rape complaint against rapper Sean Combs under the Adult Survivors Act, filed last week by R&B singer Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura.
A day after the lawsuit was filed, the parties said they had agreed to resolve the case, but did not disclose the settlement terms.
Cuba Gooding Jr.
Cuba Gooding Jr. was sued on Wednesday by two women whose sexual assault cases underlay a criminal prosecution that ended with him pleading guilty but serving no jail time.
In a complaint filed in a New York state court in Manhattan, Jasmine Abbay said the "Jerry Maguire" star forcibly kissed her without her consent in September 2018, while she was working as a cocktail waitress at the LAVO nightclub in midtown Manhattan.
The other plaintiff, Kelsey Harbert, accused Gooding of touching her in June 2019 at the Magic Hour rooftop bar, also in midtown.
Lawyers who have represented Gooding in civil and criminal litigation over his alleged sexual misconduct did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
"Our clients were deprived of the justice they sought in the criminal case," Gloria Allred, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in a statement. "They are now seeking justice and accountability in their civil cases."
Gooding won an Academy Award in 1997 for best-supporting actor in "Jerry Maguire."
He pleaded guilty in April 2022 to a misdemeanor charge of forcibly touching Abbay, who was not identified by name at the time but revealed her identity in her lawsuit.
The charge was downgraded six months later to harassment, to which Gooding pleaded guilty after complying with a plea agreement that required alcohol and behavior modification treatment and no further arrests.
Accusations by Abbay, Harbert, and a third woman were the basis for a six-count indictment against Gooding, which his guilty plea resolved.
Harbert at the time expressed outrage she could not hold him accountable in court for the "irreparable damage" he caused.
In June, Gooding settled a civil lawsuit in Manhattan federal court, moments before trial, by a woman who accused him of a 2013 rape. Terms were not disclosed. The woman had sought $6 million.