Jonathan Majors’ sentencing delayed over last-ditch bid to avoid prison
Marvel actor is facing up to a year in prison after a Manhattan jury found him guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari
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Jonathan Majors’ sentencing hearing has been postponed after the actor had been scheduled to appear in court to hear his penalties following a jury conviction in December in his domestic assault case.
Attorneys for Majors filed a motion to set aside the verdict, which can be filed under New York law after a conviction but before sentencing, on Monday night.
Prosecutors now have until next month to respond to the motion. Judge Michael Gaffey has scheduled a new sentencing hearing for 8 April.
The former Marvel star, 34, was found guilty on counts of third-degree assault and harassment in December. The jury acquitted him of one count of assault and one count of aggravated harassment. He is facing a maximum sentence of one year in prison.
Officials arrested Majors in March 2023 when Ms Jabbari accused him of slapping her and throwing her into a car.
Following his conviction, Majors’ attorney Priya Chaudry said, “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”.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement that evidence presented in the trial showed a “cycle of psychological and emotional abuse, and escalating patterns of coercion”.
“We thank the jury for its service and the survivor for bravely telling her story despite having to relive the trauma on the stand,” Mr Bragg said.
Majors’ past credits include Creed III, Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the HBO drama Lovecraft Country, and the 2021 western The Harder They Fall.
Both Marvel and the Walt Disney Corporation have terminated their association with Majors.
Jonathan Majors trial: Who are Grace Jabbari and Meagan Good?
Jonathan Majors’ former and current girlfriends are in sharp contrast to one another during the trial, with one accusing him of assault and the other holding hands with him while entering the courtroom.
The Independent’s Kelly Rissman reports:
Who are Grace Jabbari and Meagan Good?
Jonathan Majors’ former and current girlfriends are in sharp contrast to one another during the trial, with one accusing him of assault and the other holding hands with him while entering the courtroom
WATCH: Actor Jonathan Majors found guilty
The 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.
The Independent’s Kelly Rissman writes:
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
Audio released of Jonathan Majors calling himself a ‘great man’
In December, Judge Gaffey released audio of Jonathan Majors referring to himself as a “great man” and telling Ms Jabbari that he needs a “great woman” similar to Coretta Scott King or Michelle Obama.
In the audio, which is part of a separate incident, Mr Majors sounds angry and is accusing Ms Jabbari of coming home drunk.
“How dare you come home drunk and disturb the peace of our house when we have a plan,” the actor is heard saying.
“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’.”
Ms Jabbari responds: “I know I shouldn’t have gone out.”
To which Mr Majors replies, “Let me just lay it out for you, right? If I am … I’m just gonna say this — My temper, my s*** … all that said, I am a great man. A great man. I am doing great things, not just for me, but for my culture and for the world.”
Damning text messages revealed during Majors’ trial
Text messages between Grace Jabbari and the actor were presented to the jury during the trial which appeared to show Mr Majors admitting to injuring his ex-girlfriend in a separate incident that allegedly occurred in September of 2022.
In the messages, the actor appeared to be dissuading her from seeking medical attention following the alleged altercation.
“I fear you have no perspective of what could happen if you go to the hospital,” Mr Majors writes to Ms Jabbari. “They will ask you questions and I don’t think you actually protect us it could lead to an investigation even if you do lie and they suspect something.”
Ms Jabbari responds: “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 tell them what really happened when it’s clear I want to be with you.”
During the trial, the dancer said that she was nervous about contacting the authorities in regards to the actor’s alleged behaviour because of his concerns relating to police treatment of Black men.
WATCH: Jonathan Majors arrest for assault
Jonathan Majors files dramatic last-ditch motion to postpone assault sentencing
Majors is facing up to a year in jail following his conviction last year over a dispute between him and his former girlfriend Grace Jabbari.
New York City law enforcement arrested Majors in March 2023 after Ms Jabbari accused him of slapping her and throwing her into a car.
Read more:
Jonathan Majors files dramatic last-ditch motion to postpone assault sentencing
The Marvel actor is now expected to be sentenced on 8 April