After actor Jonathan Majors was found guilty of abusing his ex-girlfriend, Marvel and Disney let him go
Following a trial in which he had hoped to be found not guilty and to regain his reputation as a rising star in Hollywood, Jonathan Majors was found guilty on Monday of beating his ex-girlfriend. The exact reverse happened: hours after the verdict, he was let go by Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Co.
Majors, 34, was found guilty by a Manhattan jury of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment infraction resulting from his March altercation with Grace Jabbari, his former girlfriend. His attorneys claimed Jabbari was the one who attacked her in the car, despite her claims that he left her in "excruciating" agony. Majors, who was found not guilty of aggravated harassment and another assault charge, cast a sidelong glance and remained silent during the reading of the verdict. As he exited the courthouse, he declined to speak.
His attorney, Priya Chaudhry, conveyed in a statement that despite being convicted on an assault charge related to recklessly causing injury, the individual "still has faith in the process and looks forward to fully clearing his name." Chaudhry expressed gratitude for his acquittal on the other assault count, involving intentionally causing injury, and conveyed that his team appreciates the support received during the challenging eight months. “Mr. Majors is grateful to God, his family, his friends, and his fans for their love and support during these harrowing eight months,” Chaudhry stated.
Following the conviction, Marvel and Disney swiftly removed the star of "Creed III" from all upcoming projects, according to an insider close to the studio, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Before the arrest, Jonathan Majors had been poised to play a significant role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Kang, the antagonist. Having already appeared in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" and the first two seasons of "Loki," he was set to lead in "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty," scheduled for release in May 2026.
Jonathan Majors, known for his roles in "The Last Black Man in San Francisco," "Devotion," and "Da 5 Bloods," had rapidly ascended as a prominent figure in Hollywood. The Yale School of Drama graduate also starred in "Magazine Dreams," a film that garnered acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival in January and was originally slated for theatrical release this month. However, Disney-owned distributor Searchlight Pictures removed "Magazine Dreams" from its release calendar ahead of Majors' trial.
The sentence for Majors was scheduled for February 6. Because of the assault conviction, he may spend up to a year in jail; however, probation or other non-jail penalties are also an option. The trial, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, "illustrated a cycle of psychological and emotional abuse, and escalating patterns of coercion," in a statement. Majors and Jabbari got into a fight in the backseat of a chauffeured car, which then erupted into a fight in the streets of Manhattan.
The 30-year-old British dancer Jabbari said that Majors had twisted her arm behind her back, struck her in the head with his open hand, and squeezed her middle finger until it broke. Majors’ defense asserted that Jabbari entered a jealous rage after discovering a text message on his phone from another woman. They claimed that Jabbari fabricated a "fantasy" to discredit the actor, who was attempting to retrieve his phone and safely leave the situation.
As Majors sought exoneration from the jury, the trial uncovered additional evidence about his tumultuous relationship with Jabbari, whom he met on the set of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” two years ago.
Prosecutors presented text messages wherein the actor pleaded with Jabbari not to seek medical attention for a previous head injury, cautioning that it could lead to an investigation even if she lied. Additionally, they played audio recordings in which Majors portrayed himself as a “great man” and questioned whether Jabbari could meet the standards set by the spouses of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Barack Obama. Majors' defense contended that Jabbari clandestinely recorded her boyfriend as part of a scheme to "destroy" his career.
Throughout four days of emotional testimony, Jabbari described Majors as excessively controlling and prone to explosive fits of rage, causing her significant fear. She broke down on the witness stand as security footage was shown depicting Majors pushing her back into the car after a confrontation in the backseat. Prosecutors characterized the video as illustrating Major "manhandling" and forcibly shoving her into the vehicle "as if she was a doll."
Each morning, Majors entered the courtroom with a gold-leaf Bible, accompanied by family members and his current girlfriend, actress Meagan Good. While mostly expressionless during the testimony, he wiped away tears as his attorney, Priya Chaudhry, urged jurors to “end this nightmare for Jonathan Majors” in her closing arguments on Thursday. Majors did not testify, but Chaudhry argued that her client was the victim of a series of lies, both big and small, fabricated by Jabbari to seek revenge against an unfaithful partner.
Referring to security footage captured immediately after the shove, Chaudhry pointed out that Majors was seen sprinting away from Jabbari as she chased him through the night. Subsequently, Jabbari followed a group of strangers she had met on the street to a dance club, where she reportedly ordered drinks for the group without showing any signs of favoring her injured hand.
Chaudhry alleged, “She was revenge-partying and charging Champagne to the man she was angry with and treating these strangers to fancy Champagne she bought with Jonathan’s credit card.”
The following morning, after discovering Jabbari unconscious in the closet of their Manhattan penthouse, Majors called the police. He was arrested on the scene, while Jabbari was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries to her ear and hand. According to Chaudhry, Majors' claims that he was scratched and bloodied during the altercation were not taken seriously by police or prosecutors. "He called 911 out of concern for her, and his fear of what happens when a Black man in America came true," Chaudhry said.
Prosecutor Kelli Galloway said in her closing remarks that Majors was acting by a well-worn script that abusers employ to portray their victims as assailants. Galloway declared, "This is not a plot of retaliation to destroy the defendant's life or career." "Why are you here, it was requested of you. Domestic abuse is a severe issue.
