Jonathan Majors: Former Marvel star avoids jail over assault of ex-girlfriend

Former Marvel star Jonathan Majors has been sentenced to probation and ordered to complete a domestic violence counselling programme after assaulting his former girlfriend - avoiding prison.

The 34-year-old had faced up to a year in jail after he was convicted of a misdemeanour assault and a harassment violation by a jury in Manhattan, New York, in December.

But Judge Michael Gaffey noted that both sides in the case agreed the charges did not warrant jail time.

He said Majors must complete a 52-week, in-person batterer's intervention programme in Los Angeles, where the actor lives.

He also has to continue with mental health therapy his lawyers say he has already been receiving.

An up-and-coming star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Majors had featured in the series Loki, and Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania.

He was cast as Kang the Conqueror, a role the entertainment empire had planned to establish as a main villain for its film and TV shows for years to come - but has since been dropped.

Accompanied to his sentencing by his current girlfriend, actress Meagan Good, Majors declined to address the court and left without speaking to reporters.

His lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, said he would abide by the judge's sentence but maintains his innocence and plans to appeal.

"He's lost his whole career," she said in court. "This has been the most challenging year of his life."

The charges against the actor stemmed from a dispute between him and his British ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, that began in the back seat of a car in New York City in March 2023.

Ms Jabbari, a 31-year-old dancer, accused Majors of an attack inside the vehicle that left her in "excruciating" pain. She said he hit her head with his open hand, twisted her arm behind her back, and squeezed her middle finger until it fractured.

'He will do this again'

In a victim statement read out in court during his sentencing on Monday, she said the incident had left her with extreme emotional and physical pain.

Fighting back tears, she said: "He's not sorry. He has not accepted responsibility. He will do this again and he will hurt other women. He believes he is above the law."

During the trial, Majors claimed Ms Jabbari was the aggressor, saying she had flown 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 her safely.

Jurors found him guilty of two charges following a trial, but he was acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment.

Shortly after the verdict, a spokesperson for Marvel, which is owned by Disney, said he would no longer appear in future projects.

The actor, also a star of Creed III, has lost various acting roles and endorsement deals, and Magazine Dreams, a drama about a bodybuilder he was due to star in, was pulled from release.

The actor had his breakthrough role in 2019's The Last Black Man In San Francisco and also starred in the HBO horror series Lovecraft Country, which earned him an Emmy nomination.

He was originally scheduled to be sentenced in February, but his lawyers sought to dismiss the conviction. That motion was denied last week.

Before the guilty verdict, Majors had hoped his two-week criminal trial would vindicate him and restore his status in Hollywood.

In a television interview shortly after his conviction, he said he deserved a second chance.

-sky news