The Cuba Gooding Jr. Assault Allegation meme stems from the extensive media coverage surrounding the actor's legal battles starting around 2019. Images of Gooding Jr. in the courtroom, often displaying various expressions of stress, stoicism, or disbelief, quickly became fodder for internet humor. While the original context is serious and relates to legal proceedings, the meme community repurposed these images to represent the universal feeling of being scrutinized or caught in a lie. It is frequently used in POV scenarios where someone has to defend their actions despite overwhelming evidence against them, symbolizing the tension between personal defense and public perception.