Jonathan Majors' trial: Actor found guilty in assault of ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari

Jurors reached a verdict Monday in Jonathan Majors' trial, where the Marvel actor faced charges of domestic violence, which began Dec. 4.

A six-person jury convicted Majors of assaulting his former girlfriend Grace Jabbari. The 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. His sentencing was set for Feb. 6. The 34-year-old actor faces up to a year in jail for the assault conviction.

The verdict concludes a two-week trial that the "Creed III" star hoped would salvage his damaged reputation and restore his status as an emerging Hollywood star.

Majors, who was arrested by New York police in March for allegedly assaulting Jabbari in the backseat of a car, pleaded not guilty to all eight charges against him, which included assault and aggravated harassment.

Majors' ex was arrested on two misdemeanor charges in October on the same day his trial was postponed a fourth time, according to her attorney, Ross Kramer.

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Jonathan Majors dropped by Marvel, actor 'looks forward to fully clearing his name'

Shortly after the verdict, a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to USA TODAY that Marvel Studios parted ways with Majors. The actor was set to star in the upcoming "Avengers: The Kang Dynasty."

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."

Grace Jabbari's lawyers say '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. "Today has shown us that no abuser, no matter how powerful they may seem, is above the law."

Why was Jonathan Majors arrested?

Majors' March arrest came after officers responded to a 911 call from a Manhattan apartment, where a woman told them she was "assaulted" by him. "The victim sustained minor injuries to her head and neck and was removed to an area hospital in stable condition," according to the New York Police Department.

A judge on March 25 granted a limited order of protection, preventing Majors and the woman from assaulting or harassing each other, and released Majors on his own recognizance.

Throughout the case, Majors strongly denied the accusation, claiming he was the one who was attacked "and not the other way around," Majors' attorney said.

Voice recordings of Jonathan Majors publicly released in court

Evidence that was previously only shown to the six-person jury was released to the public on Dec. 13 by Judge Michael Gaffey.

Newly unsealed evidence obtained by USA TODAY included text messages between Majors and Jabbari, voice recordings of Majors berating his ex-girlfriend, photos of Jabbari's injuries and surveillance video of Majors getting Jabbari back into a car.

In a recording of a conversation between Jabbari and Majors, the actor can be heard criticizing her for returning "home drunk" after a night out and for not supporting him enough.

"Grace (Jabbari) has to be in a certain mindset, to support — Coretta Scott King, do you know who that is? That's Martin Luther King’s wife …" Majors said. "I'm a great man. A great man. I am doing great things, not just for me but for my culture and for the world. That is actually the position I’m in."

Unsealed Jonathan Majors texts to Grace Jabbari show actor threatening suicide

Text messages read on the fifth day of the actor's criminal trial Dec. 8 show Majors begged his former girlfriend not to seek medical attention after an incident that left her with a head injury last year, warning she had "no perspective of what could happen" if the truth got out.

"They will ask you questions, and as I don't think you actually protect us, it could lead to an investigation even if you do lie and they suspect something," Majors allegedly wrote to Jabbari on Sept. 22, 2022.

Jabbari replied that she would tell doctors she bumped her head, assuring Majors: "Why would I tell them what really happened when it’s clear I want to be with you?"

During several days of questioning, the defense pressed Jabbari about videos showing her partying in the aftermath of the alleged assault, as well as the vague statements she gave police and medical professionals about her injuries on the morning after the March confrontation.

That line of questioning may have backfired: Judge Gaffey said the defense's "aggressive" attempt to impugn Jabbari's character "opened the door" to permitting text messages about the earlier altercation to be read aloud in court.

Those previously sealed messages showed Jabbari explaining to Majors that a head injury had left her unable to sleep and in need of a stronger painkiller: "I would not go to the doctor if you don't feel safe with me doing so."

Later in the conversation, Majors accuses Jabbari of "rejecting" his love, then repeatedly threatens to take his own life. "I'm a monster, a horrible man," he wrote. "I am killing myself soon. I've already put things in motion."

Grace Jabbari testifies on Jonathan Majors' temper, alleged assault

Majors' ex-girlfriend opened up in court Dec. 5 about her turbulent relationship with the actor.

In hours of tearful testimony, Jabbari described Majors as a controlling, manipulative partner who hurled household objects at the wall, tried to control her socially and repeatedly threatened to take his own life in the aftermath of their fights.

"It felt like I was walking around on eggshells," Jabbari said. "I had to be perfect."

Jonathan Majors assault trial opening statements

The opening statements in the trial against Majors centered on whether the actor assaulted Jabbari, after she read a romantic text message sent to his phone by another woman.

Prosecutors say Majors grabbed the woman's hand so hard he fractured her middle finger, then twisted her arm behind her back and struck her on the side of the head – the latest outburst in an alleged pattern of physical and emotional abuse. An attorney for Majors argued that her client was the true victim, claiming he was left bloodied by the attack, while she spent the rest of the night clubbing.

That the competing versions of the struggle were presented to a jury was itself unusual, a rare instance of a misdemeanor assault case going to trial. Majors listened silently, head-cocked and eyes down, as a Manhattan prosecutor and his defense attorney offered competing accounts.

Both prosecution and defense offered clashing narratives about the aftermath of the alleged assault as well.

Meagan Good supports Jonathan Majors in court

As court proceedings got underway, Majors walked into Manhattan's New York County Criminal Court holding hands with current girlfriend Meagan Good. On Dec. 4, he walked into the courtroom hand-in-hand with his mother and Good was also spotted by his side, according to footage shared by a reporter on social media.

Why was Grace Jabbari arrested?

Jabbari, a British dancer and movement coach, was charged with suspicion of misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor criminal mischief, according to The New York Times and The Hollywood Reporter.

Her attorney told USA TODAY, "It is unfortunate and re-traumatizing when a survivor of intimate partner violence is forced to endure an arrest, but Ms. Jabbari is an extremely strong and resilient person who is determined to move forward.

"We are disappointed that Ms. Jabbari had to face an arrest that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office already determined was unwarranted," attorney Kramer said in a statement. "The DA's Office carefully reviewed all the facts of the case and concluded that Ms. Jabbari was the victim, and not the perpetrator."

She was released soon after on a desk appearance ticket, which is a notice to appear in court at a later date.

"The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has officially declined to prosecute the case against Grace Jabbari because it lacks prosecutorial merit. The matter is now closed and sealed," the district attorney's office said in a statement to USA TODAY.

Jabbari's arrest came more than three months after Majors filed a cross-complaint against her in June, leading the NYPD to open an investigation, and seven months after he was taken into custody following Jabbari's 911 call after an alleged domestic dispute.

Jonathan Majors' ex-girlfriend arrested amid domestic violence case against the actor

Jonathan Majors assault trial closing statements

In closing arguments that ended before lunch 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 alleged assault was the latest escalation in Majors' repeated attempts to "exert control" over his girlfriend through both physical and emotional violence.

Jonathan Majors' attorney claims he is a victim, district attorney hits back

In August, Majors' attorney Priya Chaudhry told USA TODAY in a statement that, "For an excruciating four months, Jonathan Majors, the real victim in this shameful ordeal, has had his life, career, and reputation torn apart. Yet he remains unwavering in his determination to be absolved from this harrowing ordeal."

Chaudry added that she was submitting evidence to the district attorney – including video footage, witness testimony and written statements – "with the expectation that all charges will be dropped imminently."

Majors also filed a complaint against Jabbari in June, leading to the start of an investigation by the NYPD. She was later charged with suspicion of misdemeanor assault and misdemeanor criminal mischief.

The Manhattan district attorney's office "would decline to prosecute (the alleged victim) if she were arrested," according to a 115-page document from the district attorney's office obtained by USA TODAY in October.

The document outlines New York State's case against Majors and slams the actor's attorney's statements to press. As a result, they requested "all discussions regarding discovery be memorialized in writing or within court records."

Jonathan Majors' attorney claims video will prove his innocence, DA denies it exists

The district attorney's office said Chaudhry has accused prosecutors of "racism and misandry," lied about a video of the incident "when in fact no video exists" and misrepresented witness statements and statements made by the district attorney's office.

In March, Majors' attorney said she would be submitting evidence to the district attorney including "video footage from the vehicle where this episode took place, witness testimony from the driver and others who both saw and heard the episode, and most importantly, two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations."

USA TODAY previously requested a copy of the videos.

Chaudhry also stated there was a "double standard between the treatment of Jonathan Majors, a Black man weighing 200 lbs, and his accuser," adding that it "highlights the racial bias that permeates the criminal justice system."

Contributing: KiMi Robinson and Edward Segarra, USA TODAY; Jennifer Peltz and Jake Offenhartz, The Associated Press

Jonathan Majors verdict: Actor dropped by Marvel Studios after being found guilty of assaulting ex-girlfriend

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jonathan Majors' trial: Domestic violence charges, verdict explained