Comprehensive Coverage: Jonathan Majors’s Domestic Violence Trial Unveiled.
In March, Jonathan Majors faced legal trouble when he was arrested on charges of assault and harassment in Manhattan following a altercation with his former girlfriend. The incident allegedly involved physical harm to movement coach Grace Jabbari, who Majors had met on the set of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” Despite efforts by his legal team to dismiss the case, the trial proceeded, with Majors publicly defending himself and launching a cross-complaint against Jabbari for assault. Jury selection for the trial commenced on November 29, and Majors made appearances with his new girlfriend, actress Meagan Good.
Judge Michael Gaffey also addressed some pending matters. He granted the defense’s request to seal certain evidence from the public, citing concerns about its potential impact on Jonathan Majors’s fair trial. This decision was met with agreement from Meagan Good, who nodded in approval. According to Rolling Stone, the sealed evidence includes testimony from other women who claim to have been in abusive relationships with Majors, although a media lawyer representing four outlets argued against the need for a public ban. Additionally, there was a dispute between the prosecution and defense regarding the relevance of Majors’s cross-complaint against Grace Jabbari. Prosecutors argued that it was irrelevant as no charges were filed, while the defense insisted it was significant because Majors alleged physical harm by Jabbari. Judge Gaffey stated that he would decide on the cross-complaint’s admissibility at a later date.
Here’s a comprehensive overview of the domestic-violence case involving the actor.
What legal allegations does Majors face?
According to prosecutors, the incident on March 25 began while the couple was in a private car traveling from a Brooklyn party to Majors’s Chelsea apartment. As detailed in a court filing reviewed by The Cut, the conflict ensued when Grace Jabbari saw a text message on the actor’s phone that read, “Wish I was kissing you right now.” When she attempted to see the sender’s identity by taking the phone from Majors’s hands, he allegedly initiated physical contact by grabbing the right side of her body and forcibly prying her right middle finger off the phone, resulting in bruising, swelling, and substantial pain. Majors is also alleged to have twisted Jabbari’s right arm and struck her ear. The court filing further asserts that Majors left the car after taking his phone and that when Jabbari attempted to follow him, he physically restrained her by lifting her up and throwing her back into the vehicle. Consequently, prosecutors contend that Jabbari suffered a “fractured finger, bruising on her body, a laceration behind her right ear, and a bump on her head” as a result of the altercation.
The filing also references a surveillance video, which was published by Insider, capturing Jabbari on a sidewalk in the aftermath of the incident. In the video, she can be seen visibly upset, crying, and seeking assistance from strangers to arrange an Uber ride home.
Jonathan Majors has been charged by the police with misdemeanor assault, aggravated harassment, attempted assault, and harassment. In April, the judge granted Jabbari a comprehensive temporary order of protection against Majors.
Furthermore, prosecutors disclosed the existence of a report from the London Metropolitan Police and medical records related to a previously undisclosed incident in September 2022, which they believe holds relevance to the domestic-violence case. However, the filing did not provide additional information regarding this matter.
What has been Jonathan Majors’s response to these allegations?
Jonathan Majors is being represented by defense attorney Priya Chaudhry, known for her past representation of clients such as “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jen Shah and filmmaker Paul Haggis. Chaudhry has aimed to portray Grace Jabbari as physically aggressive and mentally unstable. In a statement issued shortly after news of Majors’s arrest emerged, Chaudhry stated, “Regrettably, this incident arose due to a woman experiencing an emotional crisis, for which she was taken to a hospital yesterday. The NYPD is mandated to make an arrest in such situations, and this is the sole reason for Mr. Majors’s arrest.”
The defense contends that it was Grace Jabbari who assaulted Jonathan Majors while attempting to take his phone—an assertion they claim will be supported by the actor’s driver. In a court filing examined by The Cut, Priya Chaudhry, Majors’s defense attorney, asserts that Majors left the car and sent Jabbari a breakup text from a hotel where he spent the night. The defense further alleges that Jabbari later arrived at Majors’s apartment following a night out at a club, made 32 phone calls to him, accused him of infidelity via text, and made threats of self-harm. However, the purported text messages supporting these claims were not included in the court filings. The document goes on to state that Majors returned home the next morning and called 911 upon discovering that Jabbari had ingested a significant quantity of sleeping pills and was found in his locked bedroom, unconscious on the closet floor, with a laceration behind her ear and a broken finger.
Toward the end of March, Priya Chaudhry shared a collection of unverified text messages from Grace Jabbari to Jonathan Majors with the media, asserting that they corroborated his account of the events. One of the messages included in the disclosure read, “Will make sure nothing happens about this. I told them it was my fault for trying to grab your phone. I only just got out of hospital. Just call me when you’re out. I love you.”
Another alleged text message states, “They do not have my approval for any charges to be filed. I read the document they provided me about strangulation, and I clearly stated that this did not happen and should be promptly dismissed.” (Initially, Majors faced an accusation of strangling Jabbari, but this charge has since been withdrawn.) The text proceeds to reassure Majors, saying, “I’m taking all possible actions on my part. I also emphasized that the reason for the call originated from my collapse and loss of consciousness, and your concern as my partner, based on our prior communication.”
In a communication addressed to the court, Chaudhry asserted that body-camera recordings would reveal a police officer had guided Jabbari to state that Mr. Majors had seized her by the throat. Chaudhry alleged that the officer had done so by frequently touching his own neck while questioning her. The defense attorney accused the officers of displaying greater empathy toward a “slender white woman” than towards Majors, who is a “tall, robust, young, and highly renowned Black man.”
Chaudhry has also alleged that Jabbari feigned her injuries. In a court submission, she cited security-camera footage of Jabbari at a nightclub after Majors had departed, meticulously describing the actions depicted in the footage as evidence of her physical capabilities: pushing hair behind her right ear, indicating with her index finger, moving a lime aside to take a shot, and “dancing with her hand curled into a fist with all her fingers folded in — all without displaying any noticeable discomfort or signs of swelling or bruising whatsoever” (with emphasis according to Chaudhry). The sidewalk-surveillance video from the aftermath of the incident also shows Jabbari using her right hand to put her hair in a bun and hold a cell phone, which the defense argues further supports the claim that she had not sustained any injuries.
While much of the dialogue in the surveillance footage remains unintelligible, Chaudry stated in a motion aimed at dismissing the case that “Ms. Jabbari appeared entirely unharmed and was recounting the recent events by repeatedly asserting that Mr. Majors had received text messages from another woman, without making any mention of experiencing any form of physical harm.” Additionally, Insider published self-portraits, included in the defense’s evidence, purportedly captured on the evening of the incident. These images reveal a minor scratch on Mr. Majors’s chin and scratch marks on his arm. Chaudhry emphasized in a letter to the court, “It is crucial to note that Mr. Majors informed the police that Ms. Jabbari slapped him and damaged his coat.”
What led to the arrest of Jonathan Majors’s former girlfriend?
Majors is said to have lodged a complaint against Jabbari at a Chinatown NYPD station following his attendance at a procedural hearing in June. According to Insider, two precincts determined that there was “probable cause to make an arrest” in the case. However, Jabbari was not taken into custody until October 25 when she voluntarily appeared at the 10th Precinct of the department.
The police report that Majors filed, as per Insider’s review, allegedly describes a scenario in which he attempted to disengage from Jabbari, who seized his coat and phone while they were in a car. Majors maintains that, aside from assisting her back into the car during their altercation spilling onto the street, he did not physically interact with Jabbari. The NYPD charged her with misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief and subsequently released her with a desk ticket, which called for her appearance in court at a later date, as reported by the New York Times.
The district attorney’s office, in a statement, announced its decision not to pursue charges against Jabbari, citing the absence of substantial evidence to support the accusations. Additionally, in the prosecution’s latest submission, they allege that the defense had submitted a photograph of Jabbari for a wanted flyer to the NYPD.
What other allegations are directed at Majors?
According to a June report by Rolling Stone, Majors has purportedly faced allegations of physical and emotional mistreatment from numerous former romantic partners. The magazine references over a dozen sources who assert that the actor, known for his role in “Creed III,” was involved in incidents including strangling one ex-girlfriend and emotionally abusing her and another former partner. Notably, the report lacks firsthand accounts from the women involved. An attorney representing Majors refuted the allegations presented in the article.
As reported by Rolling Stone, two sources claimed that the woman allegedly strangled by Majors had devised an exit strategy and attempted to leave him on multiple occasions. Another woman characterized her relationship with Majors as “emotional torment,” with nine individuals who had insight into the situation sharing this perspective with the magazine. While the sources indicated that Majors was not physically abusive in this relationship, they recounted instances of “near-violence,” during which the actor discussed the urge to “strike something or punch a wall.” Additionally, some individuals interviewed by the magazine detailed Majors’s controlling and possessive behavior, stating that he sought to oversee every aspect of their lives, including decisions about meals and interactions with others.
Majors’s legal team also supplied Rolling Stone with six character-reference declarations from women who had dated or were well-acquainted with the actor. However, when the magazine contacted these women, three of them stated that they had never endorsed the statements, while a fourth individual asserted that the content attributed to her was “pre-written, inaccurate, and that she had never authorized its release.”
The report also chronicled instances of aggressive conduct on Majors’s part during his tenure at Yale Drama School and on various filming sets. “It wasn’t surprising that this information surfaced,” remarked one source to Rolling Stone. “It always seemed like it was just a matter of time because his behavior never improved. He’s not a great guy, and now the consequences are catching up with him.”
What impact have the charges had on Majors’s professional career?
Majors experienced a meteoric rise to stardom following his lead role in the independent film “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” in 2019. His portrayal of Kang the Conqueror, an antagonist in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” has positioned him as a prominent figure in the Marvel cinematic universe and a key character in an upcoming Avengers film slated for 2025. Nevertheless, as reported by Variety, Marvel is contemplating various options, including potential recasting or alterations to his role, contingent on the outcome of the trial.
The actor garnered praise for his role in the film “Magazine Dreams,” which made its debut at Sundance earlier this year and was initially scheduled for a December theatrical release. However, both Walt Disney and Searchlight have now postponed its release indefinitely. In addition, Majors has been removed from the cast of the adaptation of Walter Mosley’s novel “The Man in My Basement” and is no longer considered for the lead role in an Otis Redding biopic.
Furthermore, the actor has parted ways with his talent agency, Entertainment 360, and his PR firm, though he continues to be represented by the talent agency WME.
