Credit: Edited by Inside The Magic/MarvelMarvel star Jonathan Majors will not be testifying in court for the trial of his alleged assault on his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. New evidence has been presented to the court that may have been the ultimate reason behind how the trial is now reaching its closing arguments.
Marvel Star Jonathan Majors Hit With Assault Charges by His Ex-girlfriend
Actor Jonathan Majors is currently facing misdemeanor assault and harassment charges in a legal proceeding. The allegations against Majors trace back to an incident in March 2023 involving his former girlfriend, dancer Grace Jabbari. Within the courtroom, Jabbari has made several accusations against Majors, including:
- Employing physical force by slapping her
- Forcefully throwing her into a car after she exited it
- Inflicting injury by twisting her arm
- Causing harm by grabbing and injuring her hand
- Applying pressure and causing distress by squeezing and prying her fingers
- Delivering a blow to the back of her head
- Pushing her back into the car, reportedly triggered by witnessing a romantic text from another woman
Throughout the legal proceedings, Majors consistently asserted his innocence, contending that he was the actual victim in this situation. Majors could face a maximum penalty of one year in jail or be subject to a three-year probationary period if found guilty.
The Hollywood Actor Will Not Testify in Trial – New Evidence Presented as Trial Reaches Closing Arguments
Since the allegations began, Majors has lost multiple projects, including an ad campaign for the Texas Rangers, a film adaptation of The Man in My Basement, and an untitled biopic about Otis Redding. Majors has also lost a significant brand deal with the U.S. Army. His talent agency, Entertainment 360, and PR firm also dropped the Hollywood actor. However, Majors retained his leading role as Kang the Conquer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The trial began on December 4, around ten days ago. The trial is now closing arguments after new evidence arose in court. The latest evidence was obtained in an exclusive article released by Variety. In the article, text messages and an audio clip from September 2022 were released during the trial last week, raising some questions. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office released the evidence. The text messages from September 2022 also discuss a prior incident involving Majors and his ex-girlfriend Jabbari when they were still dating. read as follows:
It’s just fake. And you have I fear you have no perspective of what could happen if you go to the hospital. They will ask you questions and as I don’t think you actually protect us it could lead to an investigation even if you do lie and they suspect something.
– Jonathan Majors (text message obtained from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office during the trial)
I will tell the doctor I bumped my head, if I go, I’m going to give it one more day, but I can’t sleep and I need some stronger painkillers. That’s all. Why would I want to tell them what really happened when it’s clear I want to be with you.
– Grace Jabbari (text message obtained from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office during the trial)
Majors then replies with the following:
I feel like you want to be together as in to not embarrass yourself for everything you’ve said to your friends and family.
Last night I considered killing myself versus coming home.
You said you needed love last night and I put my feelings aside and tried to give you that. I NEED love too. Or maybe I’m such a monster and horrible man that I don’t deserve it and should just kill myself. This way of existence is miserable. I want to die.
Jabbari responded with several texts pleading with Majors not to go through with his plans from his previous messages. Jabbari then reminded Majors of his family, specifically his daughter and mother. The rest of the text messages were blocked and omitted from the evidence released.
Apart from the text messages, a court-released audio clip from a September 2022 argument between Majors and Jabbari has surfaced. In the recording, Majors asserts that Jabbari “has to be of a certain mindset to support” him, drawing parallels to historical figures like Coretta Scott King supporting Martin Luther King Jr. and Michelle Obama supporting Barack Obama.
In the clip, Majors emphasizes his belief in being a great man, engaging in significant endeavors for himself, and his cultural impact on the world. He expresses the expectation that the woman supporting him should also be great, willing to make sacrifices akin to his commitment to her and their collective endeavors.
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Per the official Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, here is the full transcript released as evidence:
Majors: …be doing right now? Period. This is actually, period. Do you understand that?
Jabbari: Yeah.
Majors: Do you really love me? Do you really?
Jabbari: Yes.
Majors: Then how dare you come home drunk and disturb the peace of our house when we have a plan.
Jabbari: I’m sorry
Majors: I would like to get to the point where your friends know what job I’m on and go “I think Grace is gonna be out of commission.” Get me?
Jabbari: Yeah, I won’t.
Majors: No, no, do you understand that? Because that team, that unit, right? Grace has to be of a certain mindset to support — Coretta Scott King, do you know who that is? That’s Martin Luther King’s wife. Michelle Obama, Barack Obama’s wife.
Jabbari: I know, I shouldn’t have gone out. I’m sorry
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Majors: Let me just lay it out for you, right? If I am, I’m just gonna say this. My temper, my shit, all that. All that said, right? And let’s say, 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. That is actually the position I’m in. That’s real. I’m not being a dick about it. I didn’t ask for it. I’ve worked, and that’s the situation. The woman that supports me — that I support, the work that — needs to be a great woman and make sacrifices the way that man is making for her and for them ultimately. Last night, two nights ago, you did not do that.
Jabbari: I’m sorry
Majors: You did not do that, which was took away from the plan. And the plan is everything. If it was just you, maybe I could swallow it. Or I was just gonna like, “Hey, let’s go just bed. I’m just gonna bed, I’m not hungry, blah blah blah. Because Grace isn’t here. Why? She was drunk. Why else? She was clogged by whatever was going on.” Fine. I can take that. Fine
Photos were also released by the District Attorney’s Office showcasing the injuries that Jabbari received and which were submitted as evidence earlier in the trial. An X-ray of Jabbari’s right middle finger was shown to the jury on Monday. The doctor at Bellevue Hospital, who attended to Jabbari the morning following the incident, testified that she received a splint for her finger and was treated for a two-centimeter-long cut behind her right ear.
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Judge Michael Gaffey did not listen to a motion by Majors’ lawyers to dismiss the charges on Wednesday morning of this week. Majors’ attorneys Priya Chaudhry and Seth Zuckerman disputed that the prosecution did not have enough evidence to provide legal, requisite intent for the Marvel actor’s assault and harassment charges. This would mark the second time the judge denied their motion for dismissal, with the first time taking place in the fall before the official trial commenced this month.
Zuckerman argued against the dismissal request by citing testimonies from Jabbari and Naveed Sarwar, the car’s driver during the alleged incident. The lawyer contended that these testimonies did not demonstrate that Majors had the necessary legal intent to harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm Jabbari. Jabbari testified that Majors was attempting to keep her out of his way during the alleged assault, while Sarwar stated that Majors opened the car door, expressing a desire for Jabbari to leave. Zuckerman specifically referenced these aspects of the testimonies in the motion to dismiss.
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Prosecutors Michael Perez and Kelli Gallaway opposed the defense’s motion, asserting that there is ample evidence, including testimonies, videos, and photos, to support the allegations of Majors’ assault. Perez pointed to traffic and security camera footage, arguing that it shows Majors forcefully pushing Jabbari back into the vehicle multiple times with clear intent on his face.
Judge Gaffey ruled that there is sufficient and competent evidence indicating a substantial altercation between Majors and Jabbari, resulting in the latter experiencing significant pain. The prosecution concluded its case, and the defense began presenting its witnesses, including NYPD Detective Ronnie Meija and Dr. Tammy Weiner, an emergency medical attending physician serving as a medical expert.
The defense contended that Jabbari fabricated the allegations as retaliation following the breakup. Majors and Jabbari met on the set of Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” in August 2021, dated for two years, and Majors ended the relationship on the night of the alleged assault. Majors faces four misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment, to which he pleaded not guilty. He could be sentenced to up to a year in prison if convicted.
Inside The Magic attempted to contact Majors’ attorney’s Office, Priya Chaudhry, and his legal team, Meier Watkins Phillips Pusch, for official comment but have not heard back. Inside The Magic will continue to update our readers on this trial when possible as more information is presented about Marvel star Jonathan Majors.