Jonathan Majors sentencing: Marvel star is handed probation but no jail time for assault conviction
Actor Jonathan Majors has avoided jail time for assaulting his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari and instead must attend one year of domestic violence programming in Los Angeles, a judge said on Monday.
After a high-profile trial, Judge Michael Gaffey determined Majors should not face jail time and instead asked him to continue going to therapy and pay a $250 surcharge. The judge also issued a protective order for Ms Jabbari.
In December, Majors, 34, was found guilty on two misdemeanor charges of domestic violence, including reckless assault and harassment, over the March 2023 attack on Ms Jabbari. He was accused of pulling Ms Jabbari’s finger, twisting her arm, hitting her and pushing her over during an incident in New York City.
The actor, best known for his roles in Marvel movies and Creed III, was fired by Marvel Studios on the day of his conviction. He was set to play Kang, the leading antagonist in the MCU’s next phase of superhero tales.
Majors will have to attend the domestic violence programming in person. Lawyers for Majors said he plans to appeal the conviction.
Key points
Jonathan Majors given one year of domestic violence programming
Jabbari gives victim impact statement in court
Majors says he was ‘shocked’ when assault case verdict handed down
Experts say Jonathan Majors won’t end up behind bars
Jonathan Majors’s ex Grace Jabbari sues him for defamation and assault
Jonathan Majors faces up to year in prison for assaulting Grace Jabbari
11:26 , Martha Mchardy
Former Marvel star Jonathan Majors is set to be sentenced today after he was convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
In December 2023, the 34-year-old was found guilty of two misdemeanor charges of domestic violence including reckless assault and harassment over the March 2023 attack on Grace Jabbari.
During his high-profile trial, the jury heard how Majors pulled Ms Jabbari’s finger, twisted her arm, hit her and pushed her, causing her to fall onto the ground in the incident in New York City. Surveillance footage also showed the actor shoving Ms Jabbari into a vehicle before pulling her out and dragging her onto the sidewalk.
Majors denied all wrongdoing but was convicted by jurors at trial.
Following his conviction, Majors tried unsuccessfully to get the charges overturned – but a judge denied his bid last week.
Now, he will appear in criminal court in Manhattan on Monday morning, where he faces up to a year in prison or probation.
The actor, best known for his roles in Marvel movies and Creed III, was fired by Marvel Studios on the day of his conviction. He was set to play Kang, the leading antagonist in the MCU’s next phase of superhero tales.
Majors says he was ‘shocked’ when assault case verdict handed down
11:32 , Martha Mchardy
In his first interview since his assault and harassment conviction in December, actor Jonathan Majors said he was shocked by the New York jury’s verdict.
“I was absolutely shocked and afraid,” Majors said in the interview that aired in February on ABC’s “Good Morning America”. “I’m standing there and the verdict comes down. I say, ‘How is that possible based off the evidence, based off the prosecution’s evidence, let alone our evidence? How is that possible?’”
The dispute between Majors and Jabbari began in the backseat of a chauffeured car and spilled into the streets of Manhattan. Jabbari, a 30-year-old British dancer, accused Majors of hitting her in the head with his open hand, twisting her arm behind her back and squeezing her middle finger until it fractured.
“That did not happen,” Majors said in the GMA interview. Asked how Jabbari was injured, Majors responded, “I wish to God I knew. That would give clarity. That would give me some type of peace about it.”
Majors’ lawyers alleged at trial that Jabbari flew into a jealous rage after reading a text message — from another woman — on his phone. They said Jabbari had spread a “fantasy” to take down the actor, who was only trying to regain his phone and get away safely.
In the interview, Majors described his injuries as a scratch on his hand and one on his cheek that bled overnight. Surveillance video shows Majors running off with Jabbari chasing him.
“If you watch those videos and you reverse that and you saw a Black man chasing a young white girl down the street screaming and crying, that man is going to be shot and killed in the streets of New York City,” Majors said.
Separate surveillance video shows Majors lifting Jabbari into an SUV.
Majors said he was speaking because he “felt like it was time.”
“A lot has happened in my personal life, in my career, and the culture,” he said. “It’s about responsibility and coming forward and being brave and giving my part of the story.”
Watch: CCTV shows Jonathan Majors shoving girlfriend before she chases him
11:40 , Martha Mchardy
Dramatic CCTV footage shows Jonathan Majors repeatedly pushing and shoving his girlfriend into a car before she runs after him.
He is then seen pulling her out of the car and dragging her onto the sidewalk before running away.
Ms Jabbari can also be seen chasing Mr Majors 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.
Experts say Jonathan Majors won’t end up behind bars
11:44 , Martha Mchardy
Experts have predicted that Jonathan Majors will not end up behind bars after his convition from assault.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, PR experts said that Majors will likely avoid jail time because he has no prior criminal convictions.
They added that Majors made one mistake after the other in how he handled damage to his career.
According to the outlet, critics cited Majors’ ABC News interview in which he maintains his innocence and tells the interviewer that he is the true victim.
When asked about Grace Jabbari’s injuries, the former actor said, “I wish to God I knew”.
Majors says he hasn’t seen his daughter in a ‘long time’ since criminal proceedings
11:55 , Martha Mchardy
The former Marvel said his domestic assault trial has created distance in his relationship with his 9-year-old daughter.
“A lot of it has to do with this situation. It all has to do with this situation,” Majors said in an ABC News interview. “It’s been hard.”
Jonathan Majors’s ex Grace Jabbari sues him for defamation and assault
12:08 , Martha Mchardy
Following his guilty verdict in December, Mr Major was slapped with a lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari accusing him of defamation, assault and battery.
In the federal filing, Ms Jabbari alleged “both verbal and physical abuse” at the hands of Me Major, who se said pushed her into a shower door, causing her to hit her head on the wall after the door flung open on impact.
“When Grace tried to escape, things escalated. In an effort to stop the abuse, Grace informed Majors that she was going to have to inform his team of what he had done to her, at which point, Majors began throwing candles and other objects in a frenzied state, denting the wall and leaving glass shattered on the floor,” the lawsuit read.
In addition to the assault and battery charges, Ms Jabbari is suing for infliction of emotional distress and malicious prosecution. The suit does not reference a specific monetary amount. Only that the damages are expected to be higher than $75,000.
Marvel star Jonathan Majors’s ex Grace Jabbari sues him for defamation and assault
Who is Jonathan Majors?
12:19 , Martha Mchardy
The 34-year-old Jonathan Majors rose to fame by starring in the 2019 film “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” and later gained plaudits for his work in the blockbusters “Creed III” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”
However, his legal troubles led to the end of his relationship with Marvel Studios, which parted ways following the conviction.
Majors, who played the villainous Kang the Conqueror in several productions, including “Quantumania,” had been expected to return to the role in a 2026 release, “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.”
Walt Disney, meanwhile, removed another star vehicle for Majors, “Magazine Dreams,” from its release calendar last October.
Why was Jonathan Majors convicted of assault?
12:38 , Martha Mchardy
The conviction stems from an altercation in March 2023 in which Majors’ then-girlfriend Grace Jabbari accused him of attacking her in the backseat of a chauffeured car, saying he hit her head with his open hand, twisted her arm behind her back and squeezed her middle finger until it fractured.
Majors claimed the 31-year-old British dancer was the aggressor, flying into a jealous rage after reading a text message from another woman on his phone. He maintained he was only trying to regain his phone and escape Jabbari safely.
However, Jabbari testified that Majors attacked her after she grabbed his phone upon seeing a text from another woman, including by twisting her arm behind her back and striking her in the head.
She also testified that Majors had a “violent temper,” and had “exploded” in anger on other occasions.
Majors’ lawyer has claimed that Jabbari attacked him, and falsely accused him of assault after they broke up.
Who is Grace Jabbari?
13:00 , Martha Mchardy
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 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 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 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, 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.
In March 2024 – following his conviction for assaulting and harassing her – Ms Jabbari filed a lawsuit suing Majors in federal court for defamation, assault and battery.
Who is Meagan Good?
13:20 , Martha Mchardy
Meagan Good is a 42-year-old actress and model and 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 Majors with “support” as he faced allegations.
Although 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 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.
Ms Good has also stayed by his side in the aftermath of his conviction.
Watch: Jonathan Majors expresses ‘shock’ at verdict in first interview after assault conviction
13:40 , Martha Mchardy
Majors ‘dissuaded ex-girlfriend from seeking medical attention following altercation’ in text messages seen during trial
14:00 , Martha Mchardy
Text messages between the dancer and actor were presented to the jury during the trial which appeared to show 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,” 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.
Marvel ‘changes title’ of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty following Jonathan Majors conviction
14:30 , Martha Mchardy
Marvel will reportedly retitle the forthcoming Avengers movie following Jonathan Majors’ assault conviction.
Majors, 34, previously played Kang the Conqueror in 2023’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and the streaming series Loki.
The next instalment in the multi-billion-dollar grossing Avengers franchise was set to be titled: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
However, last December, Majors was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend. He was convicted on one count of third-degree assault and one count of harassment, but acquitted him of another count of assault and one aggravated harassment count.
In the wake of the conviction, Marvel dropped Majors.
Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio has confirmed they are rewriting and will retitle the next Avengers film, which is due to be released in May 2026.
Marvel ‘changes title’ of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty after Jonathan Majors conviction
Jonathan Majors supporters arrive in court wearing his signature red beanie
14:41 , Andrea Cavallier
Supporters of Jonathan Majors showed up in court on Monday wearing the actor’s signature red beanie.
It was a short-lived statement, however, as they were told to remove the hats due to courthouse rules.
He is set to be sentenced today.
According to a GQ article from 2020, Majors would “lay his life down for his red beanie, which he wears year-round – and has even been known to sleep with it on...“if pressed.”
Jonathan Majors enters courtroom wearing sunglasses
14:45 , Andrea Cavallier
Jonathan Majors and Megan Good have entered the courtroom.
Both are wearing sunglasses.
Majors is wearing a navy and beige patterned jacket and took a red beanie from his coat.
Everything ex-Marvel actor Jonathan Majors has been dropped from
15:00 , Martha Mchardy
Jonathan Majors was on the verge of stratospheric Hollywood success before he was convicted of assault late last year.
The actor had been teed up to play the villainous Kang the Conqueror in the latest spate of Marvel Cinematic Universe films. After being found guilty of the charges Majors was dropped from multiple projects.
The Independent’s Tom Murray lists those losses:
Everything ex-Marvel actor Jonathan Majors has been dropped from
Photos: Jonathan Majors in court for his sentencing
15:01 , Andrea Cavallier
Jabbari gives victim impact statement in court
15:12 , Kelly Rissman, Ariana Baio
Before the judge sentenced Jonathan Majors for the assault of Grace Jabbari, the dancer was offered the opportunity to give her impact victim statement.
Ms Jabbari described how the incident has left her with “extreme and emotional pain” and a “total loss of self-esteem.”
“Defendant acted as if we were in a lovely relationship, that he cared about me and loved me... the reality is he isolated me from friends and family,” Ms Jabbari told the judge while wiping away tears.
“He is not sorry. He has not accepted responsibility. He will do this again. He will hurt other women. This is a man who believes he is above the law,” she added.
“I had a career, a life and a body, all of which he has damaged,” Ms Jabbari said.
District attorney asks judge for one year of domestic violence programming
15:19 , Kelly Rissman, Ariana Baio
Kelli Galoway, an attorney with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office is asking Judge Michael Gaffey to give Jonathan Majors either 52 weeks of domestic violence in-person programming or 26 weeks of jail time.
“After being convicted in this very courtroom, rather than showing contrition for his actions, the defendant decided to engage in a high-powered PR campaign,” Ms Galoway said.
She added that Majors had “questioned the credibility” of the “fair trial” he received.
Majors’ lawyers said her client plans to appeal whatever conviction he receives.
The Jonathan Majors assault trial is hauntingly similar to Depp v Heard
15:20 , Martha Mchardy
On 18 December, former-Marvel star Jonathan Majors was convicted on two counts — one count of assault in the third degree and one count of harassment in the second degree.
Throughout the trial, social media users repeatedly insisted that Majors was innocent; there was even a hashtag called #FreeJonathanMajors under which users posted their support for the actor.
The Independent’s Kelly Rissman looks at the similarities between the trial and that of fellow A-lister Johnny Depp, which played out in 2022.
Jonathan Majors’ assault trial is hauntingly similar to Depp v Heard
Judge tells Jonathan Majors ‘jail is not necessary'
15:23 , Ariana Baio
During Jonathan Majors’ sentencing on Monday, Judge Michael Gaffey said he did not believe jail time was necessary for the former Marvel star after he was found guilty of assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
Attorneys in the Manhattan district attorney’s office asked the judge to either give Majors 52 weeks of domestic violence in-person programming or 26 weeks of jail time.
Majors’ attorneys asked for the domestic violence programming to be remote as the actor wants to return to work.
Jonathan Majors given one year of domestic violence programming
15:27 , Kelly Rissman, Ariana Baio
Former Marvel actor Jonathan Majors avoided any jail time after being convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari.
Instead, Majors must attend 52 weeks of in-person battery intervention programme in Los Angeles and must continue attending therapy. Judge Michael Gaffey also awarded Ms Jabbari a protection order and asked Majors to pay her $250.
Marvel star Jonathan Majors avoids any jail time for assaulting ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari
16:00 , Kelly Rissman
Jonathan Majors was sentenced to a year in an in-person batterer intervention program in Los Angeles, California after being convicted of one count of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari.
On 8 April on the fifth floor of Manhattan Criminal Court, the Marvel star was sentenced after a jury found him guilty in December 2023 of two of four counts he had faced.
The actor must attend a 52-week in-person batterer intervention program, must continue with therapy, a protection order for Jabbari and has to pay a $250 surcharge.
Read more from Kelly Rissman:
Marvel star Jonathan Majors avoids any jail time for assaulting Grace Jabbari
Grace Jabbari left courtroom after giving statement
16:20 , Ariana Baio, Kelly Rissman
After giving her victim impact statement, Grace Jabbari swiftly left the Manhattan criminal courtroom where her ex-boyfriend, Jonathan Majors, faced sentencing on assault charges.
Ms Jabbari, wearing an all-pink outfit, tearfully described how the March 2023 assault left her with low self-esteem and extreme emotional pain.
Majors physically assaulted Ms Jabbari during an incident in New York City last year. During the trial, she described how he hit her, pushed her and twisted her arm.
But after telling Judge Michael Gaffey how the terrifying incident made her feel, she left the courtroom before she could hear Majors avoid any jail time and instead be asked to complete one year of domestic violence programming.
Red beanies are signature of Monday’s sentencing
16:45 , Kelly Rissman, Ariana Baio
Actor Jonathan Majors and several of his supporters showed up to his sentencing on Monday sporting red beanies – a signature of Majors’ style.
Inside the Manhattan criminal courtroom where Majors’ sentencing was taking place, several people showed up wearing the red beanie. Eventually, they were asked to remove them as wearing hats is against courtroom policy.
Majors, who wore sunglasses and a large plaid coat, took a red beanie out of his coat pocket.
Looking back at the Jonathan Majors trial: revelations from the Marvel star’s case
17:00 , Ariana Baio
Marvel star Jonathan Majors was convicted of assaulting his ex-girlfriend, dancer Grace Jabbari, during an altercation on a New York City street in March 2023.
Majors – best known for his roles in Marvel movies and Creed III – was arrested on the night of the incident after officers responded to a 911 call to his Chelsea penthouse apartment.
Michelle Del Rey reports:
Jonathan Majors domestic assault trial: Bombshell revelations in Marvel star case
After sentencing, Majors leaves court
17:30 , Ariana Baio
After avoiding jail time on charges related to assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Jonathan Majors left Manhattan Criminal Court with his current girlfriend, giving no statement.
Majors and his girlfriend, Megan Good, left the courthouse and swiftly got into a vehicle waiting for them.
Grace Jabbari, the ex-girlfriend and victim of Majors, left the courthouse after giving her victim impact statement.
