What We Know About Cuba Gooding Jr.'s Ex-Wife

Cuba Gooding Jr.'s personal life has unfortunately become as publicized as his acting career. In April, the Oscar-winning star pleaded guilty to forcible touching in connection to an incident that occurred in a New York City nightclub, per Deadline. Gooding's charges have since been lessened, due to the actor's compliance with court-required alcohol and behavioral treatment.

However, long before the Bronx native's life became riddled with controversy, he was married to a woman named Sara Kapfer. Gooding and Kapfer tied the knot in 1994 but split after 20 years together. According to documents obtained by TMZ, Kapfer cited "irreconcilable differences" as the cause for their separation, and also requested joint custody of the couple's three children. A few years after Kapfer filed for separation, the "Jerry Maguire" actor solidified the split, by filing for divorce. In his response, Gooding requested he keep all of his earnings but agreed to pay his estranged wife spousal support.

Amid the couple's separation, some may be questioning who Gooding's soon-to-be ex-wife really is. The truth is, there is much more to Kapfer's life than her famous marriage.

Cuba Gooding Jr. has yet to finalize his divorce from his estranged wife, Sara Kapfer, despite filing for divorce in 2017. The actor has spoken out about his divorce and revealed that he and Kapfer still have an amicable relationship. "Officially I'm still married, it's just you know how some marriages go. Sometimes you take a break or two," Gooding said, during a sit down with Steve Harvey. Adding, "I took her to see a movie the other day. We've got kids man, we've got to keep this together."

Kapfer has yet to speak out publicly about the couple's split and has seemingly chosen to remain out of the public eye. While not much is known about Kapfer's life these days, Gooding recently revealed that she worked as a teacher's aide. "I met her when she was 17," Gooding told JET Magazine in 1993. Adding, "Now that I'm this so-called big star, everybody expects me to be with some model or something. But Sara was there before the hype." Kapfer and Gooding also share three children –- Spencer, Mason, and Piper.

Following his separation from Sara Kapfer, Cuba Gooding Jr. became romantically involved with Claudine De Niro. De Niro — the ex-wife of Raphael De Niro, the son of actor Robert De Niro — has been dating the actor since 2018, according to Page Six. "I wouldn't say they are dating, but they are hooking up," a source told the publication at the time. However, De Niro and Gooding's relationship has seemingly flourished and the two have remained an item ever since.

De Niro was also at the center of a 2019 incident involving the actor -– who was accused of groping a woman at a rooftop bar in New York City, per TMZ. Despite the messy debacle, De Niro's love for Gooding appears to be as strong as ever. Two months after the "Men of Honor" star pleaded guilty to forcible touching, Daily Mail spotted the couple enjoying a vacation in Mexico.