Jonathan Majors’ lawyers speak out after guilty verdict in assault trial
The jury announced a split verdict on Monday afternoon, finding him guilty of two charges
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Marvel star Jonathan Majors was handed a guilty verdict in his trial for assaulting his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari on Monday afternoon.
Jurors deliberated for a total of roughly five hours before convicting Majors on two charges - one misdemeanour count of assault and one harassment violation.
In a statement after the verdict, Majors’ legal team issued a statement saying he looks forward to clearing his name.
Last week, Judge Michael Gaffey permitted the release of a wealth of evidence, including text messages, photographs, footage, a recording of the actor calling himself a “great man” and the 911 call from the night of the alleged attack.
The texts show Majors dissuading Jabbari from going to the hospital following a separate alleged altercation in 2022, saying “it could lead to an investigation even if you do lie and they suspect something”.
Majors was supported throughout the trial by his current girlfriend Meagan Good.
Hours after the guilty verdict was announced, Marvel said it was dropping Majors from its lineup.
Verdict on the charges against Jonathan Majors:
One misdemeanour count of reckless assault in the third degree - Guilty
One misdemeanour count of second-degree harassment - Guilty
One count of assault in the third degree – Not guilty
One count of aggravated harassment – Not guilty
What comes next for Jonathan Majors after assault conviction?
Jonathan Majors has been found guilty of assaulting his former girlfriend Grace Jabbari.
The Marvel star, 34, was arrested in March in New York after Ms Jabbari accused him of slapping her and throwing her into the car after she exited it, twisting her arm and grabbing and injuring her hand.
He previously pleaded not guilty to charges of misdemeanour assault, aggravated harassment, attempted assault and harassment.
Following a 10–day-long trial, which included testimony from the driver of the vehicle and Ms Jabbari herself, the split verdict was returned on Monday. The jury found Majors guilty of one count of assault and one count of harassment but acquitted him of another count of assault and one aggravated harassment count.
Attention now turns to whether Majors will face jail time. It is thought he could face up to one year in prison.
Read on...
What comes next for Jonathan Majors after assault conviction?
A jury convicted Majors on two counts on Monday afternoon after roughly five hours of deliberation
Jonathan Majors’ legal team says he ‘looks forward to fully clearing his name'
Jonathan Majors’ legal team has said that he is looking forward to clearing his name after he was convicted of two misdemeanour counts of harassment and assault on Monday.
His attorney Priya Chaudhry released a statement saying:
“It is clear that the jury did not believe Grace Jabbari’s story of what happened in the SUV because they found that Mr. Majors did not intentionally cause any injuries to her. We are grateful for that.
“We are disappointed, however, that despite not believing Ms. Jabbari, the jury nevertheless found that Mr. Majors was somehow reckless while she was attacking him.
“Mr. Majors is grateful to God, his family, his friends, and his fans for their love and support during these harrowing eight months. Mr. Majors still has faith in the process and looks forward to fully clearing his name.”
WATCH: Jonathan Majors found guilty of assaulting former girlfriend
Bombshell revelations from the Marvel star’s trial
Marvel star Jonathan Majors’ assault trial saw his ex-girlfriend, dancer Grace Jabbari, 30, accuse him of assaulting her during an alleged altercation in New York City on March 25.
She said the actor pulled her finger, twisted her arm, hit her and pushed her in a way that caused her to fall onto the pavement.
Based on surveillance footage released, the events occurred as the couple got into a car that evening. Mr Majors can be seen shoving Ms Jabbari into the vehicle until he gives up, pulls her out of the car and drags her onto the sidewalk.
He then runs away from Ms Jabbari and she proceeds to chase him down several streets in Manhattan.
She said she sustained injuries in the alleged assault, including a bruised right middle finger and a cut to her ear. Mr Majors has denied the allegations. He was arrested on the night of the alleged incident after officers responded to a 911 call to his Chelsea penthouse apartment.
The actor – best known for his roles in Marvel movies and Creed III – said he had arrived to find his ex-girlfriend asleep in his closet. According to an audio recording of the conversation, he believed that Ms Jabbari might have suffered an “overdose” or had attempted suicide.
Ms Jabbari told officials that she had been “struck in the head several times”, according to an officer who testified for the prosecution.
The actor was subsequently charged with multiple counts of misdemeanour assault and harassment, which were reduced to two charges each following a decision made during the Manhattan trial.
Here are the key revelations from the trial:
Jonathan Majors domestic assault trial: Bombshell revelations in Marvel star case
Actor has denied any wrongdoing
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg reacts to Jonathan Majors’ verdict
Who is Grace Jabbari?
Grace Jabbari is a 30-year-old British dancer and the ex-girlfriend of Jonathan Majors. The pair dated for two years.
As a dancer, she has appeared in movies like Barbie, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One and Coldplay’s “Cry Cry Cry” music video, according to IMDB.
On the stand, Ms Jabbari told jurors that her romance with Mr Majors began in August 2021 after meeting on the set of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. She was working as a movement director while Mr Majors starred as the movie’s villain.
She said that his hair stylist “slipped me this piece of paper, so I opened it up and it was his number.” Then Majors returned to her side asking: “Am I going to see you later?”
Ms Jabbari testified that their relationship moved “fast.” She added that he wrote her poetry and “he told me that he loved me early on, which was overwhelming, but I loved it as well.”
But by December, she noticed a shift. She mentioned her ex, which she said prompted her boyfriend to yell, she said: “It was the first time I felt scared of him.”
Throughout the trial, numerous other incidents came to light aside from the one Mr Majors is on trial for, which a prosecutor called a “manipulative pattern” of abuse.
Text messages shown in court revealed an incident in September 2022 in London. In the texts, Mr Majors appears to admit that he had injured Ms Jabbari’s head. He then threatened to commit suicide if she went to the hospital, texts revealed.
Who is Meagan Good?
Meagan Good is a 42-year-old actress and model and Mr Majors’ current girlfriend.
She has appeared in both TV shows and movies, including Harlem, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and Think Like a Man, according to her IMDB page.
The pair have been dating since May 2023, according to People. A source told the outlet that same month that the actress had been providing Mr Majors with “support” as he faced allegations.
Although Mr Majors sparked speculation that he and Ms Good were married after referring to her as “the missus” in a September speech, a source shot down that idea to People, underscoring they were still dating.
Photos have captured the couple walking into the courtroom hand-in-hand throughout the trial. During Majors’ defence attorney’s closing remarks, an emotional Ms Good was spotted wiping tears from her eyes.
The Jonathan Majors assault trial is hauntingly similar to Depp v Heard
Marvel actor Jonathan Majors was on trial for the last two weeks over assault and harassment charges. Before the jury’s verdict was handed down, the verdict in the court of public opinion had long been decided, as social media users seemed to have made up their minds, just as they had in the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard case.
On 18 December, Mr Majors was convicted on two counts — one count of assault in the third degree and one count of harassment in the second degree.
The case hinged on a March 2023 incident. Grace Jabbari, Mr Majors’ then-girlfriend, reportedly discovered texts sent to Mr Majors from another woman. An argument ensued, which culminated in the alleged assault in the back of a private car in New York City. The dancer informed police that she had been assaulted by her then-boyfriend and went to the hospital; he was later arrested and charged.
The Independent’s Kelly Rissman reports:
Jonathan Majors’ assault trial is hauntingly similar to Depp v Heard
The #FreeJonathanMajors comes years after the #JohnnyDeppisInnocent — and both came long before either one of their verdicts were in
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