Former Marvel star Jonathan Majors is facing new accusations over his arrest for assault and harassment, and all his lawyers can say is that they’re engaged in “important dialogue.”
Jonathan Majors was arrested in New York City in 2023 after being accused of assaulting and harassing Grace Jabbari, a British dancer and former domestic partner of the Lovecraft Country star.
The actor was eventually convicted of reckless assault in the third degree and harassment; rather than serving time in a correctional facility, Majors was sentenced to a 52-week in-person domestic violence intervention program. If he fails to comply with any of the terms of the program, he could still spend nearly a year in jail.
In addition to the legal repercussions, Jonathan Majors experienced a huge fallout in his professional life. He had been cast as Kang the Conqueror in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a role that was heavily promoted as the new post-Thanos cosmic villain of the franchise and involved playing numerous different Variants of the character, like He Who Remains, Victor Timely, and Immortus.
Along with his starring role alongside Michael B. Jordan in Creed III (2023) and the film festival favorite Magazine Dreams (2023), Majors had been established as one of the most swiftly rising stars in Hollywood.
Related: Jonathan Majors Reportedly Preparing For Big Hollywood Comeback
The arrest shut all that down and the conviction seems to have closed the door on numerous opportunities. Jonathan Majors was fired by Marvel Studios after the arrest, and after the recent announcement at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 that Robert Downey Jr. had been cast as Doctor Doom, it appears that the character of Kang has essentially been written out as a Big Bad.
Additionally, Magazine Dreams was shelved by its distributor and the actor has been dropped by both his professional representation and as a spokesperson for the United States Army.
While Jonathan Majors’ criminal trial is over, he still faces a civil lawsuit from Grace Jabbari (per ABC News). The lawsuit is suing the actor for defamation, claiming that “Put bluntly, Majors’s defense to Grace’s descriptions of the numerous acts of violence Majors perpetrated against her was to brazenly defame her and label her a liar on all claims. The defendant intended his false and defamatory statements to be broadcast around the world.”
It goes on at further length:
“During the criminal trial against Majors, the theme of his defense was to blame his victim and paint her as a liar, with his attorney claiming in his closing argument that, ‘[t]his entire case is built on Grace’s lies—and, boy, does Grace lie. These prosecutors bought Grace’s white lies, her big lies, and all her pretty little lies.’ Jonathan Majors was then found guilty of assault. Following his conviction and prior to sentencing, Majors participated in an exclusive interview with ABC News wherein he doubled down on his public attack of Grace, claiming that she is lying about the entire pattern of abuse she has described, as he has “never laid [his] hands on a woman.”
The lawsuit also seeks damages for unspecified injuries. Brittany Henderson, Jabbari’s attorney, said in a statement, “It takes true bravery to hold someone with this level of power and acclaim accountable, bravery that Grace Jabbari has demonstrated at every stage of the legal process. We strongly believe that through this action, truth and transparency will bring Grace the justice that she deserves.”
Related: Marvel Boss Kevin Feige Speaks Out on Kang Recasting After Replacement Reported
That lawsuit was filed back in March, but now it seems that Majors’ legal team is seeking more time to face the assault and defamation accusations (per In Touch). In fact, Majors has not even officially responded to the suit in court and his lawyers are asking to push back the response deadline from August 15 to September 19.
According to the filing, “The Parties are in agreement that an extension beyond August 15, 2024 is necessary for the following reasons; (1) [Jonathan’s] counsel is still in the process of gathering the relevant file with respect to the case; and (2) counsel for [Grace] and [Jonathan] are currently engaged in important dialogue regarding the case and need additional time to have these extensive discussions.”
Jonathan Majors has expressed interest in returning to the MCU and the role of Kang in the future, but if this case continues, it is unlikely that Disney will ever want to work with him again.
What do you think of the civil lawsuit against Majors?