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.
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Will Jonathan Majors go to prison for assaulting Grace Jabbari?
Jurors are supposed to reconvene at 10am today
Jury deliberations began on Monday afternoon around 3.30pm.
The jurors — three men and three women — briefly returned to the courtroom on Friday but did not reach a verdict.
Similarities between the Jonathan Majors trial and Depp v Heard
The question of guilt is ultimately up to the jury. In the court of social media public opinion, however, evidence and due process don’t seem to matter, as opinions on the case seemed to be made well before the trial was even finished.
“This Jonathan Majors case is turning into yet...another crazy ex-girlfriend matter. How many more of these in Hollywood do we need to go through?” one X user wrote.
Another described Jabbari as Majors’ “crazy, drunk, lying, gold-digging, girlfriend.”
“I hope Jonathan Majors get[s] that no guilty verdict shawty tried to end his career lol,” said yet another.
The knee-jerk defence of Mr Majors harkens back to social media users’ defence of Mr Depp.
Perhaps there has been no better example of trial-by-internet than Depp v Heard. Everyone seemed to have an opinion. From the case’s outset in April 2022, social media users were quick to paint Ms Heard as “a compulsive manipulating liar,” and “guilty” while a hashtag spread: #JohnnyDeppisInnocent.
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ICYMI: Jonathan Majors cries in court
Marvel star Jonathan Majors grew emotional and shed tears during the closing arguments in his New York assault trial.
The actor’s lawyers and prosecutors presented their closing arguments to a jury on Thursday, just 10 days after court proceedings commenced earlier this month in Manhattan.
Priya Chaudhry, the actor’s attorney, choked up as she delivered her last words to the jury as she pleaded with them to “end this nightmare” for her client.
“I want to end this nightmare for Jonathan now, immediately, and as quickly as possible,” the attorney said. “It’s just fake. Nothing she says makes sense. Nothing she says is medically possible,” she added, referring to his accuser and ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari.
Ms Chaudry addressed directly Mr Majors’s 911 call on 25 March, when the alleged assault took place.
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Marvel star Jonathan Majors weeps during closing arguments in trial
Actor and grilfriend Meagan Good became emotional in New York courtroom
What is Jonathan Majors accused of?
Earlier this year, actor Jonathan Majors was set to become the next great supervillain in the Marvel multiverse.
Now, the breakout star with major roles in films including Creed III and Loki is on trial for allegedly assaulting his then-girlfriend during an argument last spring and could spend a year in jail if convicted.
Mr Majors, 34, was arrested in March in Manhattan after Grace Jabbari accused him of slapping her, throwing her into the car after she exited it, twisting her arm and grabbing and injuring her hand.
He is charged with misdemeanors including assault and could be sentenced to up to a year in jail if convicted. Majors has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Prosecutors said it started when Ms Jabbari had grabbed a phone out of the actor’s hand after seeing a text, presumably from another woman, saying “Wish I was kissing you right now.” Mr Majors tried to snatch the phone back.
After the couple’s driver stopped the car and the pair got out, Ms Jabbari said Mr Majors threw her back into the vehicle.
Police said that she was treated at a hospital for minor injuries to her head and neck, which included a cut to her ear.
Mr Majors’ attorneys have maintained that Ms Jabbari was the aggressor during the fight and had scratched and hit him.
Everything Jonathan Majors has been dropped from since charges were brought
Jonathan Majors was on a stratospheric trajectory before being charged with assault and harassment in March of this year.
The actor was taken into custody and later charged with misdemeanors including assault and could be sentenced to up to a year in jail if convicted. Majors has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Majors’ attorney has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing by the actor and maintained that the charges against him are false.
Despite the denials, a number of collaborators have cut ties with the actor since his arrest.
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What is charge #4?
Court reporters said on Monday that jurors were requesting a reread of charge #4.
Studio executives discuss Majors’ career post-trial
CNN spoke to industry sources on Majors’ projected career trajectory after the assault trial.
“The trial has illuminated a fair amount of stuff regardless of the verdict,” one studio executive told the outlet. “What came out is problematic for him, particularly for a brand like Marvel or Disney – at least in the near term.”
“If Marvel drops him, that would be a big indicator of his future,” a WME agency source told CNN. “If he’s found guilty… there’s nothing to represent.”