Jonathan Majors dropped by Marvel Studios after being found guilty of assaulting ex-girlfriend
A six-person jury convicted Jonathan Majors of assaulting his former girlfriend Grace Jabbari on Monday, concluding a two-week trial that the actor hoped would salvage his damaged reputation and restore his status as an emerging Hollywood star.
A Manhattan jury found Majors guilty of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment violation. The "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" star was also acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment. Majors, who was asked to stand and face the jurors as the verdict was read, showed no immediate reaction, looking slightly downward.
Majors' sentencing was set for Feb. 6. He faces the possibility of up to a year in jail for the assault conviction, though probation or other non-jail sentences also are possible.
Majors faced eight misdemeanor counts involving assault, aggravated harassment and harassment after his arrest in March over a confrontation with Jabbari, a British dancer and movement coach, during a car ride in Manhattan. 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 pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
Marvel and Disney cut ties with Jonathan Majors
Shortly after the verdict, a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to USA TODAY that Marvel Studios has dropped Majors from all upcoming projects following the conviction.
Majors had earlier planned to be a central figure throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing the antagonist role of Kang. Majors had already appeared in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" and the first two seasons of "Loki."
He was to star in "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty," dated for release in May 2026.
More:Jonathan Majors' text messages, audio recordings to ex-girlfriend unsealed in assault trial
Grace Jabbari's lawyer says 'justice has been served'
In an emailed statement to USA TODAY, Jabbari's attorney Brittany Henderson said Jabbari hopes "her actions will inspire other survivors to speak out and seek justice."
"Justice has been served by today’s verdict," Henderson said. "We are thankful to the jury, the court and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for giving this case the time and attention that it merits. Today has shown us that no abuser, no matter how powerful they may seem, is above the law."
Jonathan Majors' attorney says actor 'looks forward to fully clearing his name'
Majors' attorney Priya Chaudhry said Majors "still has faith in the process and looks forward to fully clearing his name."
"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," Chaudhry said in a statement to USA TODAY. "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."
More:Jonathan Majors' arrest is a developing story. People are jumping to conclusions anyway.
Jonathan Majors text messages to Grace Jabbari, voice recordings released
The verdict comes after New York Criminal Court Judge Michael Gaffey allowed more evidence to be publicly released in the case about an allegedly violent confrontation in the backseat of the car between the Marvel star, 34, and Jabbari.
Newly unsealed evidence provided to USA TODAY by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office included text messages between the two; voice recordings of Majors criticizing Jabbari; photos of Jabbari's injuries; a recording of Majors' 911 call and surveillance video of Majors getting Jabbari back into a car.
Majors' attorneys argued Jabbari was the aggressor in the incident.
In closing arguments Dec. 14, Majors' lawyer portrayed Jabbari as a compulsive liar who concocted a story of an abusive relationship as revenge after catching her boyfriend of two years texting another woman.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, said the actor "struck a blow" to his partner's head that left her stunned in the backseat of a car. They said the assault was the latest escalation in Majors' repeated attempts to "exert control" over his girlfriend through both physical and emotional violence, citing a past instance in which he allegedly urged her not to seek medical attention for a head injury because it could "lead to an investigation."
Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Brian Truitt, USA TODAY; Jennifer Peltz and Jake Offenhartz, The Associated Press