The Army Reportedly Lost $1.8 Million After Pulling Jonathan Majors Ads Post Arrest. CBS Gave Back
Jonathan Majors’ name has remained in headlines for over a week now since it was reported that he’d been arrested and charged with several offenses, including assault and harassment. By the time the news was reported, he had been released from custody, and his rep issued a statement in which he denied any wrongdoing on the star’s part. Nevertheless, Majors – who was later accused of “vicious, cruel” behavior by two directors – has felt the ramifications of the legal situation in at least one way, from a professional standpoint. He was set to be the face of a campaign launched by the U.S. Army, but the organization opted to pull the released ads amid the controversy. The group is said to have lost about $1.8 million as a result but, apparently CBS paid it back.
The Army intended for Jonathan Majors to be at the forefront of its Be All You Can Be recruitment campaign and, by the time his legal issues came to light, two ads had already made it to air. In a formal statement, a spokesperson for the military branch explained that the initiative wouldn’t be canceled outright. However, the organization is opting to put a pause on material involving Majors until an investigation into his alleged assault incident is completed.
Two versions of an additional advert featuring the Marvel Cinematic Universe alum were slated to bow on CBS a few weeks ago during the NCAA basketball tournament’s Elite Eight games. Based on the aforementioned figure, that proved to be a pricey decision for the company. And that's a truly significant blow when you consider that it’s spent $117 million in total on the campaign, per CBS News. So officials were probably pleased when the Eye Network offered to compensate them with a new 30-second ad valued at $1.974 million that will air during the men’s championship. Also, re-cut 30 and 60-second versions of the OG promo aired during the Elite Eight games last weekend. You can see the lengthier version of the recently released commercial below:
This latest U.S. Army project arrives at a time at which the group is experiencing one of its worst recruitment environments in history. Keeping that information in mind, it would make sense as to why it would tap a top-tier talent like the Creed III star for its marketing strategy. Yet there’s still a question as to whether he’ll be able to continue repping the brand.
Jonathan Majors was arrested in New York City on Saturday, March 25, as a result of a situation that reportedly occurred the previous evening. Majors and his alleged girlfriend reportedly got into an argument while in a taxi. The unnamed woman claims that the actor appeared to be texting another woman and that when she tried to look at his phone, he grabbed her neck and caused her physical harm. Her visible injuries, for which she was treated, were ultimately “probable cause” for the entertainer to be taken in. Majors was officially charged with “several counts of assault in the third degree, three counts of attempted assault in the third degree, one count of aggravated harassment in the second degree, and one count harassment in the second degree.”
After the Lovecraft Country vet’s rep denied the allegations, his lawyer spoke out and contended that he was “probably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows.” Attorney Priya Chaudhry also claimed that purported evidence – including video footage and two written statements from the woman involved – refute the claims. Text messages from her were also released, which appear to show her taking responsibility for what happened.
There’s no telling whether additional information like what was mentioned above will come to light in the near future, but what we do know is that a court date has been set for May 8. Based on its previous statement, the U.S. Army will likely be keeping tabs on the situation in order to determine whether Jonathan Major will continue to be involved in the ongoing campaign.
