Dec. 18 (UPI) — Marvel actor Jonathan Majors was found guilty Monday of third-degree reckless assault and second-degree harassment, in a split verdict stemming from a March altercation with his ex-girlfriend in New York City.
Within hours, Disney/Marvel Studios fired the Emmy-nominated actor, who had played Kang the Conquerer.
Majors, 34, showed no reaction earlier Monday as the verdict — which came after five hours over three days — was read on each of the four counts. In addition to finding him guilty on two counts, Majors was acquitted of intentional assault and aggravated harassment.
The judge renewed a protection order, preventing Majors from having any contact with his former girlfriend. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 6. He could face up to a year in prison on the two misdemeanor counts.
Majors pleaded not guilty to the four charges after he was arrested in March on allegations that he assaulted his ex-girlfriend who, according to court records, suffered a cut behind her ear and a broken finger. A charge of strangulation was dropped.
“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,” Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement Monday.
“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,” Bragg added.
While Majors called 911 on March 25 and said he had found his girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, unconscious in their apartment, she testified that he assaulted her in a private car. As prosecutors called the incident a case of domestic violence, Majors’ defense called it revenge by an ex-girlfriend which has affected his career.
“This is a case about the end of a relationship, not about a crime,” defense attorney Priya Chaudhry said in opening statements. “His career was unstoppable until he ended the relationship with Ms. Jabbari and she made these false allegations.”
Majors played the role of Kang in several Marvel films. He also starred in Loki, Creed III and in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. In addition to being dropped by Disney/Marvel Studios on Monday, his publicity firm — the Lede Company — and managers at Management 360 dropped him shortly after his arrest. Disney-owned Searchlight Features has also called off the release of Magazine Dreams.
