Jonathan Majors has been found guilty by a jury of his peers in the assault trial that took place in New York City involving Grace Jabbari.
The jury included three men and three women.
Thursday
Following the judge adjourning the case on Thursday, the jury reconvened on Friday and their request for additional info was fulfilled; however, the judge adjourned the case on Friday to Monday.
Friday
On Friday, the 911 call was replayed in the courtroom, and they were provided a slow-motion version of the video from outside the car, the night of the alleged incident that occurred between the Marvel actor and his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, last March. Following listening to the 911 call and watching the video, the jury went back into deliberations. However, the jury then returned to court and the case was adjourned to Monday.
Monday
On Monday, the court started late as originally the trial was to resume at 10am but the court didn’t start until over an hour later.
The jury again had more questions and requested additional info, with a re-read of Charge 4, which is harassment in the second degree; the replay of the Car 1 surveillance video, and they requested to hear the testimony by Grace Jabbari’s friend, Chloe Zoller, who previously testified that she gave Jabbari ice for her finger while the two were at a party and did not notice any other injuries on Jabbari.
The verdict is in
Following adjourning for lunch, the jury returned to court at 2:15pm.
It’s reported as the verdict was read that Jonathan Majors stood facing the jury and remained completely still, with his hands clasped and his face expressionless, maintaining a straight face. Before the verdict was read, the judge ordered, “I want absolutely no reactions in the courtroom, no outbursts.”
The jury reached a verdict:
- assault in the third degree with intent to cause physical injury: NOT GUILTY
- assault in the third degree recklessly causing physical injury: GUILTY
- aggravated harassment in the second degree: NOT GUILTY
- harassment in the second degree: GUILTY
Sentencing has been set for February 6.
Update: Marvel has fired Jonathan Majors.
⚖️ VERDICT 2:25 pm:
— Dani's Does Law & Policy (@DaniDoesLaw) December 18, 2023
🐂 💩 assault in the third degree with intent to cause physical injury: NOT GUILTY
🐂 💩assault in the third degree recklessly causing physical injury: GUILTY
🐂💩aggravated harassment in the second degree: NOT GUILTY
🐂💩harassment in the second…
On trial for assault
The defense’s closing arguments on Thursday said Majors did not commit physical assault and called Jabbari a liar and that Jonathan Majors is the real victim: ”This entire case is built on Grace’s lies — and, boy, does Grace lie,” lawyer Priya Chaudhry told jurors.
The prosecution’s closing arguments on Thursday stated there was “voluminous” evidence Majors got physically violent with Jabbari: “But what it really boils down to is four simple words: control, domination, manipulation and abuse,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Kelli Galaway told jurors.
Among the evidence released includes video from the night where Grace Jabbari can be seen chasing after Jonathan Majors, said to have been for six city blocks. Jabbari is also said to have partied hard into the night with strangers.
It’s also said that when Majors came back to the apartment, he found Jabbari passed out, and Majors was the one to have made the 911 call.
It’s also said as he was running away from her, a fan stopped him and asked for a selfie, which he obliged. Majors is also shown on video putting a blanket over his then-girlfriend as she was getting questioned by police.
According to the defense, Jabarri took “a bunch of sleeping pills” and was in Majors’ “locked bedroom, unconscious on the floor of a closet, with a cut behind her ear and a broken finger.”
The defense also claimed the police officer coached Jabarri “to say that Mr. Majors grabbed her by the throat” by “touching his own neck several times when questioning” her.
As a result of the controversy and prosecution, Majors was dropped by his talent manager and PR team; he lost The Man in My Basement ad campaign for the Texas Rangers; lost an unannounced Otis Redding biopic, and Disney has yanked Magazine Dream off the release schedule.
What about Marvel?
Regarding his Marvel role, nothing official has been announced but a producer on Loki Season 2 did state Majors’s predicament didn’t affect the show.
Rumors do offer that Marvel is going in a different direction and moving away from Kang as the big villain of the MCU. However, it has been said to not be because of Majors getting into trouble with the law, but with the failure of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It’s also rumored Avengers: The Kang Dynasty might be canceled in favor of something like Avengers: Secret Wars Part 1 and Part 2, or another title.
