Jonathan Majors says he was ‘shocked’ and ‘afraid’ upon hearing guilty verdict in assault case

Jonathan Majors says he’s not responsible for his ex-girlfriend’s injuries, speaking out for the first time since a jury found him guilty of misdemeanor assault and harassment last month in a case that had an immediate effect on his career in Hollywood.

The case stemmed from a March 25, 2023, domestic dispute in New York City between Majors and his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, in which they got into an altercation in the backseat of an SUV. 

Majors, 34, said he was stunned when the verdict came down, where the jury found him guilty of two of the four counts against him. He was acquitted of two other counts of third-degree intentional assault and second-degree aggravated harassment.

“Shocked. I was absolutely shocked. And afraid,” he told ABC News’ Linsey Davis in an exclusive interview that aired in part on “Good Morning America” on Monday morning.

“I’m standing there and the verdict comes down. I say, ‘How is that possible based off the evidence, based off the prosecution’s evidence, let alone our evidence? How is that possible?'” he added.

Prosecutors accused Majors of slapping Jabbari in the face and fracturing her middle finger after she took his phone, leaving a cut behind her ear. Throughout the trial, Majors denied striking her and contended that he was the victim. 

When asked how those injuries came about, Majors told Davis: “I wish to God I knew. That would give clarity. That would give me some kind of peace about it.”

“You’re confident you didn’t — ” Davis asked. Before she could finish her question, he said, “I have no question.”

Davis pressed Majors, asking, “Do you feel you’re not responsible for her injuries at all?”

During the trial, the court presented Majors’ 911 call to police and surveillance video footage showing him exit the SUV and run through the streets with Jabbari chasing him after the altercation. 

Looking back on what happened that night, Majors said he wouldn’t have gone to pick up Jabbari. 

“I shouldn’t have been in the car. … If I’m not in the car, none of this is happening. If I leave the relationship, none of this is happening. If I’m man enough or brave enough to say, ‘I want to see somebody else or I’m done now,’ I’m not in that car. We’re not here. I’m responsible for those things,” he said.

“But none of her injuries?” Davis asked.

“Can’t say that. None of her injuries,” he said. Majors later doubled down, saying that “my hands have never struck a woman ever.”

Majors became emotional when he described life after the trial. 

“It has been very, very, very hard and very difficult and confusing in many ways,” he said. “I haven’t seen my daughter in a long time, you know? A lot of it has to do with this situation.”

The jury had found that Majors didn’t intend to injure Jabbari but found the he had been reckless. 

“I was reckless with her heart … not with her body,” the actor said. “I loved Grace. Our relationship was not healthy and that began to reveal itself over time.”

The trial also saw prosecutors present text messages Majors sent to Jabbari sharing suicidal thoughts.

“The ideations of removing myself from situations permanently is a thought that I’ve had since I was kid, since I was a young boy on a farm in Texas. It’s not there anymore, I’m doing the work to keep it at bay and make sure it’s not there anymore,” he told Davis.

Majors also spoke about a recording played in court in which he asked Jabbari to behave like Coretta Scott King or Michelle Obama because he was a “great man” doing “great things” for the world.

“It was me trying to give an analogy of what I am aspiring to be, these great men, Martin, President Obama, and trying to give reference point to that,” Majors explained. “One thing I also say is like I need her, and in that case Grace, to make the same sacrifices I am making.”

The verdict was a blow to the star’s skyrocketing career and saw Marvel Studios part ways with the actor. He had been set to anchor the next phase of the the lucrative Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise as the supervillain Kang the Conqueror. He has played the character in two Marvel projects, and he was scheduled to appear in 2026’s “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.”

Majors also co-starred in two of 2023’s year’s biggest blockbusters: “Creed III” and Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”

When asked if he’ll ever work in Hollywood again, Majors said: “Yeah, I do. I pray I do. But it’s God’s plan, God’s timing.”

Majors has said he intends to appeal the verdict. His sentencing is set for Feb. 6.

The full interview airs at 7 p.m. ET on ABC News Live Prime.

Marlene Lenthang

Breaking News Reporter

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : NBC News – https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/jonathan-majors-says-was-shocked-afraid-hearing-guilty-verdict-assault-rcna132807