Both of Cuba Gooding Jr.’s sons have followed in his film industry footsteps
Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
NEED TO KNOW
- Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. shares three children with ex-wife Sara Kapfer
- Sons Spencer and Mason were born in 1994 and 1996, respectively
- Cuba and Kapfer welcomed daughter Piper in 2005
Cuba Gooding Jr. is best known for his roles in movies like Jerry Maguire and The People v. O.J. Simpson, and now, his two oldest children are following in his footsteps.
The actor is a father of three, including sons Spencer and Mason and daughter Piper. The Selma star and then-wife Sara Kapfer started a family when Spencer was born in 1994. Mason followed in 1996 and Piper joined the Gooding crew in 2005. Cuba and Kapfer split after 20 years of marriage in 2014 — the actor then filed for divorce three years later.
Now, middle child Mason is the first to become an actor like his dad, having starred in notable films like Booksmart and more recently, Scream 7.
Mason also spoke about growing up with Cuba as his father on a July 2026 episode of the Wildmen podcast, saying that Cuba often tried to “speed-parent” his kids since he was away from home so often.
“I didn’t really understand that relationship, because I was like, ‘You’re so positive and charismatic in these interviews, and then you come home and it’s a different guy.’ And I didn’t get that correlation, or lack thereof,” Mason said.
Now that he’s an actor himself, Mason understands his dad’s approach a bit better. He added, “All people fear the creep of time, and how it affects their relationships.”
As his children have grown, Cuba has been at the center of multiple sexual misconduct allegations in recent years. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of forcibly touching a woman four years prior. The following year, he settled a rape allegation lawsuit minutes before the trial was set to begin.
Here’s everything to know about Cuba Gooding Jr.’s kids: Spencer, Mason and Piper.
Spencer Gooding, 31
Credit: Joe Kohen/Variety/Penske Media/Getty
Cuba and Kapfer welcomed their first child, son Spencer, in September 1994.
Cuba opened up about Spencer’s favorite activities as a child, like going to summer camp, but admitted it could be an emotional experience.
“They’re excited to go the night before … [then] they call crying,” Cuba shared with MoviesOnline in 2007. “And then they show up and they’re dirty and smelly because they forgot to shower the entire two weeks and they’re like, ‘The best time ever. Can’t wait ’til next year.’ “
After high school, Spencer attended Wesleyan University in Connecticut, where he pursued a degree in American English literature, per his LinkedIn.
“During my attendance at Wesleyan I needed to take a year off from school during what was a difficult time in my life,” he shared on Instagram in 2019. “But was given the second chance to return and complete my education!”
Spencer got his degree in 2018, and his father beamed with pride. “I cried like a little girl,” Cuba told PEOPLE Now of watching his son get his diploma. “And now he’s got this executive position working with a company, so I’m very proud of him.”
The college graduate has an interest in film like his father. He’s worked as a production assistant at Comedy Central and 21 Century Fox and worked as a content editor at WEBTOON. He’s also tried his hand at streaming video games on Twitch and has shared reviews of movies on his Instagram. He also wrote the film Turn the Key for Sice Box Films, which shared a photo of Spencer on set on Instagram in April 2026.
Spencer is close with both of his parents. He celebrated his mom in 2018, posting photos on his Instagram Stories and writing, “Happy Mother’s Day to my brilliant strong gorgeous mamma. Words couldn’t possibly do her justice.”
As for the rest of his family, he likes giving his siblings shout-outs, including calling his sister Piper “the best lil sister a guy could ask for” and sending love to his brother, Mason.
“You have been my best friend for all of my life, minus the two years before you were born,” he wrote on his Instagram Stories in 2018 for Mason’s birthday.
Mason Gooding, 29
Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty
Cuba and Kapfer celebrated the arrival of their second child, son Mason, in November 1996.
Like Spencer, he had a more private childhood, but his father shared glimpses during his early years.
“My youngest boy is a Boy Scout,” Cuba once shared with MoviesOnline. “I’ve been the chaperone on a couple of those camping excursions.”
Though Cuba expressed concern about his kids following him into acting at a young age, Mason eventually got his big break in the HBO comedy Ballers after a short time at New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
“My youngest son Mason just did a stint on Ballers with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as one of the characters in that,” Cuba proudly shared with PEOPLE Now in 2018. “He’s got a new indie movie that he’s starring in, [too.]”
Mason’s acting career only skyrocketed from there, including the Netflix holiday movie Let It Snow, coming-of-age comedy Booksmart and Hulu’s Love, Victor. But one of his biggest achievements came in 2020 when he was announced as part of the cast of Scream 5.
Credit: TM/NHL/GC Images
The actor is close with his brother, and the two are often seen having adventures together on Instagram.
“If you asked me when i was younger who my hero was, I can almost guarantee i would have said ‘my big brother,’ ” Mason wrote on Instagram in 2023, alongside throwback photos with his sibling. “And you know what? Some things never change. Happy Birthday Spence.”
These days, Mason is dating actress Emilia Tosta, and has shared photos of the two together on Instagram.
Mason spoke out about his father’s sexual assault allegations in January 2022.
“I couldn’t be more grateful to live in a time in which someone — man, woman, anyone — would feel comfortable speaking about their experiences,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I also love my father, and given who he is and how he raised me, I’m happy to say, nothing I’ve read, heard or had discussed with me has been in line with any way I’ve known him to behave.”
Piper Gooding, 20
Credit: Alex Berliner/BEI/Shutterstock
Cuba and Kapfer’s youngest child, daughter Piper, was born in October 2005.
The actor’s rep shared the pregnancy news in July 2005, telling PEOPLE they were “thrilled to be adding another addition to our family.”
Despite his busy schedule, Cuba said he tried to spend a lot of time with Piper.
“She’s so cute,” he told MoviesOnline in 2007. “She’s got … a dad who travels a lot, so when he’s there … she stays on my shoulder.”
In 2018, the actor told PEOPLE that his daughter was “12 going on 30,” with various hobbies and interests. “She sings, dances, does it all,” he said.
Piper is passionate about dance, and performed as the captain of the Palisades Charter High School Dance Team. Now, Piper is studying dance at Loyola Marymount University and often shares videos of her dances on Instagram.
Read the full article here
