UPDATED STORY (12/18/2023 5:08 pm ET): Marvel Studios/Disney has fired Jonathan Majors following the guilty verdict in his New York City domestic violence trial. A representative for Disney confirmed to TV Insider that the studio is not moving forward with Majors as a result of the verdict.
Majors played the MCU’s new big, bad villain, Kang the Conqueror, in Loki and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, in addition to playing Victor Timely (a Kang variant) in Loki Season 2.
ORIGINAL STORY (12/18/2023 at 3:29 pm ET):
Jonathan Majors has been found guilty of reckless assault and harassment in his New York City domestic violence trial. The verdict, settled by a jury of three men and three women, was announced in a Manhattan court on Monday, December 18.
Majors was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment. He was acquitted on the other two charges against him in this trial, which were intentional assault in the third degree and aggravated harassment in the second degree. According to Deadline, Majors did not visibly react to the verdict when it was read in court on Monday. He was sitting with his attorneys and his current girlfriend, Meagan Good, when it was read.
“I want absolutely no reactions in the courtroom, no outbursts,” Judge Michael Gaffey said before he read the verdict. Majors’ sentencing date has been set for February 6. The Loki actor faces up to one year in jail.
Majors faced four charges over a reported incident involving his former girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. The incident reportedly took place in March 2023. After reading the verdict, Judge Gaffey told Majors that the protective order barring him from making contact with Jabbari was still in effect.
The Creed III star was arrested and charged on March 25, 2023, following the reported assault of Jabbari. He pled not guilty to the charges against him.
The New York City trial took place over the course of eight days. The jury decided on its verdict after less than three days of deliberations.
“At the Manhattan D.A.’s Office, we are committed to centering survivors in all of our work,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement following the verdict, per Deadline. “The evidence presented throughout this trial illustrated a cycle of psychological and emotional abuse, and escalating patterns of coercion far too common across the many intimate partner violence cases we see each and every day. Today, a jury determined that pattern of abuse and coercion culminated with Mr. Majors assaulting and harassing his girlfriend. We thank the jury for its service and the survivor for bravely telling her story despite having to relive her trauma on the stand.”
The trial involving Majors and Jabbari presented conflicting accounts of a car ride and events in Majors’ apartment. The jury, after days of testimony, deliberated on charges and requested a review of evidence, including video of the alleged incident. Majors’ defense emphasized Jabbari’s credibility, accusing her of dishonesty, while the prosecution described Majors’ actions as “control, domination, manipulation, and abuse.” Despite earlier speculation, Majors did not testify, and the trial’s last witness was his agent. The case revolves around contrasting narratives and limited video evidence.
Majors and Jabbari first met in London in 2021 on the set of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Jabbari, a self-described professional dancer, was hired as the actor’s movement coach on the Ant-Man sequel.
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