• A judge rejected Cuba Gooding Jr.'s bid to throw out his New York groping case so he can continue working, saying Wednesday that she needed time to review written arguments and didn't want to make a rash decision. Judge Keisha Espinal said she wouldn't rule until Aug. 14 on the actor's request to dismiss the misdemeanor case, dashing his and his lawyers' hopes of swiftly scotching the 2-week-old charges that he grabbed a woman's breast at a Manhattan bar, which he denies. The Oscar-winning star's forthcoming film projects could be in jeopardy if the case drags on and he has to shuttle between his Hollywood home and a Manhattan courthouse for hearings and a trial, defense lawyer Mark Heller argued. Gooding nodded when he was asked outside court if he thinks his case will eventually be dismissed. As he waited for his ride, a passer-by yelled: "Show us the money, Cuba!" -- referring to a line from Gooding's Oscar-winning role in Jerry Maguire. Gooding, 51, is accused of placing his hand on a 29-year-old woman's breast and squeezing it without her consent at Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge near Times Square on June 9. The woman told police that she believed Gooding was intoxicated. Gooding, who was arrested June 13, has pleaded innocent to forcible touching and sexual abuse charges.
• The Dixie Chicks took the long way around, but they'll soon return with new music after a 13-year hiatus. The award-winning group's lead singer, Natalie Maines, took to Instagram recently to tease a new album. Using a baby filter, Maines exclaims "Dixie Chicks!" Bandmates Emily Robison and Martie Maguire then say "Album" and "Coming." Their producer, Jack Antonoff, says, "Someday." Their representative has not responded to an email seeking comment on the forthcoming album. The Dixie Chicks' last album in 2006, Taking the Long Way, won the Grammy award for Album of the Year. The group received support and severe backlash in 2003 after Maines told a London audience that they were ashamed President George W. Bush was from Texas.
• Country music singer Chris Stapleton and his wife, Morgane, have donated $10,000 to Habitat for Humanity in Lexington, Ky. WKYT-TV cited a statement from the agency in reporting that Stapleton made the donation through his charitable fund, Outlaw State of Kind. Stapleton is a native of Paintsville in eastern Kentucky. Lexington Habitat for Humanity Chief Executive Officer Rachel Childress said the check was "completely unexpected" and would go to help build safe, inexpensive housing in the city. She said every dollar helps and that the organization is "so grateful." The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee administers Stapleton's charitable fund, which supports a variety of causes that are important to the singer.
A Section on 06/27/2019