Last year, the world lost a great filmmaker when John Singleton passed away. Next Tuesday (April 28) will mark the one-year anniversary since Singleton left us, and it looks like the approaching date has Ice Cube taking a trip down memory lane. Aside from bringing us films such as Baby Boy, Poetic Justice, Higher Learning, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and Four Brothers, Singleton also made history with his directorial debut, Boyz n the Hood.
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The film starred Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Laurence Fishburne, Regina King, Angela Bassett, and Ice Cube. It's been hailed as a classic Black film that generations continue to enjoy, notably because there was a true-to-life essence that stemmed from being shot on location with effects that evoked natural reactions from the cast. Ice Cube recently tweeted a photo of himself and his co-stars on the Boyz n the Hood set with John Singleton and revisited one of those memories.
"Rehearsing the Crenshaw scene for Boyz N Tha Hood," he wrote in the caption. "John never told us that it would be real gun fire during the scene. All reactions were real. John was brilliant. I miss him." Check out the tweet and the scene he's referring to below.
Michael Jai White Talks Cuba Gooding Jr’s "Wild" Ways: "His Nickname Was ‘Butt Naked’"
White added that Cuba gave himself the moniker.
The #MeToo movement has set its sights on Hollywood’s elite, causing many beloved stars’ reputations to plummet as adoring fans turn into social justice warrior foes. Cube Gooding Jr. is one of those famous figures who only in recent months has amassed a startling near-two dozen accusers who have come forward with claims of sexual misconduct.
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Over the years, there has been video footage of a drunken Cuba at bars or parties, but some women now say those places were exactly where the accomplished actor groped or inappropriately touched them. Cuba has come forward to adamantly deny the accusations against him while the court of public opinion rakes him through the coals.
Actor Michael Jai White was stunned when VladTV told him that 22 women have spoken against Cuba, but he added that his wild ways have been well-known in Hollywood for years. Vlad referenced an interview he did with comedian Lunnell who stated that when Cuba gets drunk “he gets handsy with the women.”
Michael said he “not surprised” by the accusations, but “Cuba’s a wild boy, that’s never been hidden.” The actor added that Cuba would tell everyone that his nickname was “Butt Naked” because “for 20 years he just would drop [trousers] in public. He did that a lot.” White stressed that Cuba has called himself that, “so that’s something nowadays is completely frowned upon, so when I say I’m not surprised, it’s not because he’s a lecherous person. I just think people are… They’re on a witchhunt for it, to some degree.”
White claims he’s never been drunk but he recognizes that it can cause people to do things they may regret. Because Cuba likes to drink and party, his “wild” antics were apart of “how he was fun.” Although White can’t say anything about whether or not Cuba has crossed the line with anyone, he can say that he never heard about anyone complaining back in the day. Watch White’s full clip below.
Cuba Gooding Jr. Parties Hard For 52nd Birthday Despite Sexual Misconduct Trial
Cuba’s still having a good time.
Cuba Gooding Jr.’s assault claims have now tallied to more than 20 women but still the Radio actor is partying and having a good time. Cuba’s life changed this past summer when he was at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar in New York and a woman accused him of groping her breasts. Cuba denied any wrongdoing but as time went on, more women came out of the woodwork and accused the actor of similar inappropriate behaviour.
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Cuba has maintained his partying lifestyle since the first accusation and his recent 52nd birthday has been no different. Cuba was spotted partying hard in St. Barths Thursday night at Julien Roussel’s Casa Nightclub, TMZ reports. The highlight of the evening was when Cuba showcased a little performance to Journey’s hit “Don’t Stop Believin’”
“There is not a scintilla of criminal culpability that can be attributed to Mr. Cuba Gooding Jr. after I have extensively, with my staff, reviewed the video of almost two hours which reflects the entire event,” Cuba’s lawyer, Mark Heller said of his first sexual misconduct case. “I am totally confident that when a jury of Cuba Gooding Jr.’s peers assess all of the exculpatory evidence in this case, that he will be totally exonerated.”