Jonathan Majors sentenced to probation but no prison time for assaulting ex-girlfriend

Actor Jonathan Majors was sentenced to probation but avoided prison time Monday for assaulting his ex-girlfriend in a high-profile case that derailed the once-promising star’s career.

The 34-year-old star of Creed III and other films had faced up to a year behind bars after he was convicted of misdemeanor assault by a Manhattan jury in December.

Following the guilty verdict, Majors had been immediately dropped by Marvel Studios. Marvel had had cast him as Kang the Conqueror, a role envisioned as the main villain in the entertainment empire’s movies and television shows that would likely have cemented his name as one of the biggest actors in Hollywood.

The conviction stems from an altercation in March 2023 in which Majors’ then girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, accused him of attacking her in the backseat of a chauffeured car, saying he hit her head with his open hand, twisted her arm behind her back and squeezed her middle finger until it fractured.

Jabbari, fighting back tears as she addressed the court, said Majors refuses to acknowledge his guilt and remains a danger to those around him. “He’s not sorry. He has not accepted responsibility, ” she said. “He will do this again and he will hurt other women. He believes he is above the law.”

Jabbari said Majors had made her believe the two were in a loving relationship, but, in reality, he isolated her from the rest of the world and cut her off from family and friends.

“I was so emotionally dependent on him,” she said. “I became a different person around him – small, scared and vulnerable.”

Majors had claimed the 31-year-old British dancer was the aggressor, flying 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 Jabbari safely.

The jury ultimately convicted him of one assault charge and a harassment violation, though acquitted him on a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment.

It is still unclear whether the character of Kang will be recast and remain in future Marvel films or if the studio will scrap projects based around the character.

Majors’ career took off in Hollywood in The Last Black Man in San Francisco before starring in bigger projects like Lovecraft Country, The Harder They Fall, Da 5 Bloods and Creed III.

Majors, dressed in all black and accompanied by his girlfriend, the actor Meagan Good, declined to address the court or speak to reporters. His lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, said Majors is “committed to growing as a person” and will complete the court-mandated programs “with an open heart” even as he maintains his innocence and plans to appeal.

“He’s lost his whole career,” Chaudhry said in court.