Jonathan Majors, the 34-year-old actor who rose to fame with his roles in Marvel’s “Loki” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”, has been found guilty of one count of assault and one count of harassment in a split verdict, but acquitted of two other charges. The charges stemmed from a March altercation with his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, a British choreographer and dancer, in New York City. Majors faces up to a year in prison if convicted.
The case has drawn attention to Majors’ character at a time when American institutions say they are trying to take allegations of abuse more seriously. The incident also put a pause in Majors’ rapid rise to superstardom, as he was expected to play a major role in the upcoming Marvel projects.
According to prosecutors, the assault occurred when the couple were in a car in New York in March and Jabbari saw a text message from another woman on Majors’ phone. The text said, “Wish I was kissing you right now.” Majors responded by pulling her finger, twisting her arm behind her back, and striking her face in an attempt to get the phone back, prosecutors alleged.
The driver stopped, and the pair got out, but Majors threw her back in, officials said. Jabbari was taken to a hospital with “minor injuries to her head and neck,” police said.
Majors stayed in a hotel on the night in question but returned to the couple’s apartment the following morning and found Jabbari unconscious on the floor. He says he called police out of concern that she had attempted suicide.
Majors’ attorney Priya Chaudhry has maintained that Major was “completely innocent”. Chaudhry stated, “We are disappointed, however, that despite not believing Ms. Jabbari, the jury nevertheless found that Mr. Majors was somehow reckless while she was attacking him.” She requested that the jury “end this nightmare for Jonathan Majors” during closing arguments on Thursday.
The prosecution painted the assault as the latest escalation in Majors’ attempts to “exert control” over his girlfriend through physical and emotional violence. Majors, however, did not testify. The attorney tried to change the narrative, alleging that Jabbari assaulted Majors in the car and then falsely accused him of assault after their breakup.
Majors experienced a significant setback after his talent manager and publicist severed ties with him, and he was removed from numerous prominent projects following his arrest. Additionally, his film Magazine Dreams, originally set for release on Dec. 4 on Disney+, was also removed from the streaming platform’s lineup.
Relevant articles:
– Actor Jonathan Majors Convicted by Jury in NY Assault Case
– Jonathan Majors found guilty on 2 charges in split verdict at assault trial
– Verdict split in Jonathan Majors domestic violence trial
– Jonathan Majors case: Summary and timeline – NBC News