OUT-of-control CUBA GOODING Jr. is headed to rehab following a dramatic intervention by frightened family and friends, say sources.
The desperate measure was taken after Cuba got into a booze-fueled barroom bustup in New Orleans, where he reportedly roughed up a female bartender, the sources add.
A misdemeanor battery warrant was issued for the 44-year-old “Jerry Maguire” star after he allegedly shoved the bartender twice at The Old Absinthe House on July 31. The charge has since been dropped. But that was just the latest in a string of bad behavior by the married father of three.
“Cuba has had one embarrassing incident after another,” a source close to the actor told The ENQUIRER. “This was the last straw!
“His friends and family have been begging him to get help for a very long time, and after their recent intervention they may finally get their wish. Cuba’s wife, Sara, along with some friends and colleagues told him in no uncertain terms he needs to take his problem seriously.
“He finally agreed to seek help for his boozing and to manage his temper.”
In the barroom incident, Cuba allegedly exploded in a fit of rage and cursing after some fellow patrons recognized him and tried to take his photo, according to several eyewitnesses. When the bartender asked him to calm down, he allegedly shoved her against a wall. She asked him to leave and sources claimed he pushed her again. A co-worker called 911 and the actor allegedly fled.
The “Men of Honor” star later turned himself in to police and the warrant was lifted. His publicist termed the whole thing “a misunderstanding.”
But to the victim, it is far more, said a close source. “She is still in great pain after being shaken and pushed by Cuba.”
For the past dozen years, The ENQUIRER has reported on the hot-headed star’s cheating and boozing – including a romp with a sexy blonde and a recent drunken tear in Manhattan.
“The New Orleans fiasco was a huge wake-up call for Cuba,” said the source. “We’re just praying he gets the help he needs.”
