Actor Jonathan Majors dropped by Marvel after being found guilty of assaulting former girlfriend

Jonathan Majors enters a courtroom at the Manhattan criminal courts in New York. Credit: AP

Marvel actor Jonathan Majors has been dropped by the film franchise after being found guilty of assaulting his former-girlfriend following a trial in New York.

The jury found Majors, known for playing Kang in the super hero universe, attacked British choreographer Grace Jabbari during an altercation in March this year.

Majors, 34, now faces up to a year in jail, and has been dropped from all upcoming Marvel projects following his conviction.

A Manhattan jury found the actor guilty of assault and harassment, and he was also acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment.

Ms Jabbari, a 30-year-old dancer, accused Majors of an attack that left her in “excruciating” pain inside a chauffeured car which continued on the streets of Manhattan one night in March in 2023.

Grace Jabbari, second right, the accuser in the assault case against Jonathan Majors, leaves court. Credit: AP

She said he struck her in the head with his open hand, twisted her arm behind her back and squeezed her middle finger until it fractured.

Majors’ attorney reiterated his innocence during her closing argument, calling the accusations against him “fake” and alleging that Ms Jabbari was the aggressor in the March dispute, CNN reports.

Majors, who starred in “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”, was asked to stand and face the jurors as the verdict was read.

He showed no immediate reaction, looking slightly downward. His sentencing was set for February 6, 2024.

Zoomed in surveillance video showing Majors and Ms Jabbari coming out a car. Credit: AP

Over the trial Majors arrived in the courtroom each morning carrying a gold-leaf Bible, and hugged his family and current girlfriend, actress Meagan Good, before taking his seat. 

Prosecutors shared text messages from Majors begging Ms Jabbari not to seek hospital treatment for an earlier head injury as they painted a “cruel and manipulative pattern” of abuse.

Majors’ lawyers countered that Ms Jabbari had surreptitiously recorded her boyfriend as part of her plot to “destroy” his career.

Ms Jabbari broke down on the witness stand as a jury watched security footage from the aftermath of the backseat confrontation, which prosecutors said showed Majors “manhandling” her and shoving her back in the car “as if she was a doll”.

A picture of the injury to Ms Jabbari's ear. Credit: AP

CNN reported in October that Disney has removed Magazine Dreams, a film starring Majors that was due out this month, from its release calendar.

Lawyer Priya Chaudhry, who represented Majors, said the actor “still has faith in the process” hours after he was found guilty.

“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,” Ms Chaudhry said.

“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.”

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