Cuba Gooding Jr.'s son says dad 'speed-parented' him
Cuba Gooding Jr.'s son Mason Gooding said his famous father "speed-parented" him growing up, describing stretches when the Oscar winner was "gone for so long," then returned for brief, intense check-ins. The Heart Eyes actor opened up Tuesday on the Wildmen podcast.
Key Takeaways
- Mason Gooding, 29, said Cuba Gooding Jr. "speed-parented" him because of a busy acting career.
- He described his dad returning for about a week and grilling him on school, fights, and broken things.
- Mason said he related more to his dad's and late grandfather's public images than their private selves.
- Page Six sought comment from Cuba Gooding Jr. and did not immediately hear back.
What did Mason Gooding say about being "speed-parented"?
On the Wildmen podcast, the Scream VI and Fall star explained how an actor-parent's schedule shaped his childhood. "Cause when you're a parent who's an actor and you're gone for so long, then you come back, you try to … the word would be speed-parent … 'cause you come in for a week, and you're like, 'Why is that broken? Why are you failing school? Why are you fighting?'" he said, according to Page Six.
Mason is Cuba's youngest son. The Jerry Maguire star shares sons Spencer, 32, and Mason, and daughter Piper, 21, with ex-wife Sara Kapfer. Cuba won the Oscar for best supporting actor months after Mason was born.
Why did Mason say he knew his dad better from the public stage?
"My father was an actor and grandfather [Cuba Gooding Sr.] was a singer," Mason said. He added that he probably has "a stronger relationship and understanding based on who they were publicly than who they were privately."
It was not until he was older, he said, that his dad could articulate many of the lessons from childhood — noting his grandfather died in April 2017. At the time, Mason recalled feeling unsure how to approach Cuba: charismatic in interviews, then "a different guy" at home.
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What parenting advice does Mason give other actors?
Mason, who followed his father into acting, said people on set ask a polite version of how not to mess up their child. His answer: recognize that a public persona can be "consumed by their child the same way an audience does."
"It's just understanding that that dissonance between who I get at home and who you are on camera will actually be a factor in how I parse out our relationship moving forward," he shared.
Cuba Gooding Jr., 58, has faced several scandalous headlines in recent years, including a 2022 forcible-touching guilty plea later reduced after counseling, a 2023 lawsuit settlement over rape allegations, and other misconduct claims he has denied. Page Six said it had reached out for comment on Mason's remarks but had not immediately heard back.