Jonathan MajorsImage Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Jonathan Majors made headlines on March 25 when he was arrested following an alleged domestic violence dispute.
The New York Police Department named Majors as the aggressor in an assault involving a 30-year-old woman in a statement to Variety. “The victim informed police she was assaulted. Officers placed the 33-year-old male into custody without incident,” the statement continued. “The victim sustained minor injuries to her head and neck and was removed to an area hospital in stable condition.”
Majors, for his part, denied the allegations that same day. “He has done nothing wrong,” a spokesperson for Majors told CNN in a statement on March 25. “We look forward to clearing his name and clearing this up.” He was released after several hours in police custody.
Majors filed a countersuit against his alleged victim, later identified as his ex Grace Jabbari, three months later, accusing her of being the aggressor during the March incident. Jabbari was not prosecuted for her own assault charges, and the trial began in New York City in November 2023.
While Hollywood may appear to be all glitz and glam on the surface, the industry has seen its fair share of scandals through the years. The New York Times and the New Yorker first published investigative pieces in 2017 that accused disgruntled movie producer Harvey Weinstein of decades of sexual assault and harassment. Soon after, Weinstein stood trial and was […]
Scroll down to learn more about Majors’ ongoing legal drama:
March 2023
Majors was arrested in New York on March 25 for allegedly assaulting a 30-year-old female. The New York Police Department identified Majors as the aggressor at the time. Following his arrest, Majors’ rep publicly denied the claims.
Three days after his arrest, Majors was arraigned and charged with assault and harassment. During the incident, the Lovecraft Country actor allegedly hit the accuser “with an open hand, causing substantial pain and a laceration behind her ear” and “put his hand on her neck, causing bruising and substantial pain,” CNN reported on March 28.
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Majors’ lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, said at the time that she expects the charges to be dropped as there are “two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations.”
As a result of the scandal, the U.S. Army paused an ad campaign featuring Majors. “The U.S. Army is aware of the arrest of Jonathan Majors and we are deeply concerned by the allegations surrounding his arrest,” Army Enterprise Marketing Office public affairs chief Laura DeFrancisco confirmed in a statement to Variety. “We recently released two ads in which Mr. Majors appears. While Mr. Majors is innocent until proven guilty, prudence dictates that we pull our ads until the investigation into these allegations is complete.”
April 2023
The Emmy nominee was dropped by talent manager Entertainment 360, Deadline reported on April 17. The representation change came shortly after the PR firm The Lede Company cut ties with Majors in late March amid the scandal.
Additionally, Majors and Valentino “mutually agreed” that the Marvel star would not attend the Met Gala in May as one of the fashion house’s guests, per Deadline.
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June 2023
Majors reportedly met with law enforcement on June 20 after an appearance at the Manhattan Criminal Court, according to Insider. During his meeting, the Devotion actor filed a domestic violence incident report with the Chinatown precinct, per the outlet.
In his own court filing, Majors claimed that a “drunk and hysterical” woman caused him harm during their alleged March encounter. He also alleged in the complaint that the woman previously attacked him during other alleged incidents, but noted he chose not to file reports to document those incidents. Additionally, Majors accused the woman of stealing his phone and spending between $6,000 to $7,000 on his credit card after the altercation.
During his June 20 court appearance, a judge set an August 3 trial date and ordered Majors to keep his distance from Jabbari.
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August 2023
The case’s initial August trial date was moved to September 6 after the prosecution requested more time. Majors attended the brief hearing with girlfriend Meagan Good by his side.
October 2023
A New York judge denied a motion to dismiss the case against Majors. A new trial date was set for November 29.
Prior to the ruling, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office filed a 115-page response to Majors’ motion to dismiss the case. According to Variety, the document claimed that Majors’ legal team had leaked and misrepresented court evidence and attempted to make police officers create a wanted poster with Jabarri’s photo.
The lengthy filing also states that the District Attorney’s office has no plans to prosecute Jabarri for allegations of domestic violence made in Majors’ counterclaim.
The investigation is examining an incident that occurred prior to Majors’ March arrest. Court documents obtained by Us Weekly confirm that prosecutors “made diligent good faith efforts to obtain medical records from London related to an incident that occurred in September 2022.”
That same month, Jabbari was arrested on charges of assault and criminal mischief. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, however, chose not to prosecute her. “[The case] lacks prosecutorial merit,” a spokesperson told Us. “The matter is now closed and sealed.”
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December 2023
Majors’ assault trial began with his accuser, Grace Jabbari, taking the witness stand. Per Jabbari’s testimony on December 5, she met the actor on the set of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania before they started dating. She claimed that as their relationship intensified, it eventually became abusive.
According to CBS News, Jabbari tearfully alleged that Majors threw glass candles at her head, berated her for speaking about a past partner and stopped talking to her for days when she went to a music festival.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office presented some of Majors’ past text messages as evidence during the trial. According to Variety, Majors threatened suicide in one text exchange, as well as convinced Jabbari not to pursue medical attention for a head injury.
An audio clip was also released, in which Majors tells Jabbari that needs someone of a “certain mindset” to be his partner, using couples such as Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King Jr. and Michelle Obama and Barack Obama as examples.
“I’m a great man. A great man. I am doing great things, not just for me, but for my, for my culture and the world,” Majors stated in the recording. “That is actually the position I’m in. That’s real. I’m not being a d—k about it. I didn’t ask for it. I’ve worked, and that’s the situation. The woman that supports me … needs to be a great woman and make sacrifices the way that man is making for her and for them ultimately.”
During the trial, Jabbari also provided new details about the March incident, alleging that Majors began attacking her in the vehicle after she took his phone to inspect a text he received from another woman. She allegedly suffered a fractured finger and cut behind the ear during the altercation. Majors reportedly called 911 the following day upon discovering Jabbari unconscious at his NYC penthouse, after which he was arrested.
In her closing statements, Chaudhry claimed that the case against Majors boiled down to race. “His fear of what happens when a Black man in America calls 911 came true,” she told the jury on December 14, according to People. “And now we’re here.” Assistant District Attorney, Kelli Galaway, claimed in her closing statement that the case was centered around “control, domination, manipulation and abuse” on Majors’ part.
Majors was found guilty of assault in the third degree and harassment and is set to be sentenced on February 6, 2024. (The jury also found the actor not guilty of aggravated harassment in the second degree and an additional count of assault in the third degree.)
Following Majors’ conviction, Us confirmed that Marvel Studios fired him from upcoming productions. He had played Kang the Conqueror in Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,with the character set up to lead the “Kang Dynasty” Avengers team-up in 2026.
February 2024
Majors’ sentencing was delayed to April 8 as his attorney filed a motion to set aside the verdict, Deadline reported. The District Attorney’s office will respond to the motion by March 5. Majors, who appeared virtually at his brief February 6 hearing, could face up to one year behind bars as a first-time offender.
April 2024
CNN correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister reported via X on April 3 that a judge had rejected Majors’ motion to acquit him of the assault and harassment charges, citing court documents obtained by CNN.
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“In other words, the former Marvel star’s conviction on assault & harassment charges will stand,” Wagmeister wrote.
Less than one week later, Variety reported on April 8 that Majors was sentenced to one year of domestic violence counseling. He must complete a 52-week, in-person domestic violence program in Los Angeles and is expected to continue mental health therapy and provide updates on his progress. A permanent order of protection was put in place between Jabbari and Majors, the violation of which could result in jail time.
