New York — Jonathan Majors was sentenced to a yearlong treatment program but escaped jail time Monday for abusing his ex-girlfriend in a high-profile case that destroyed his career. In December, a Manhattan jury found the 34-year-old “Creed III” star guilty of misdemeanor assault, which could have led to a year in prison.
After both sides concluded the accusations did not deserve jail time, Judge Michael Gaffey sentenced Majors to conditional discharge on Monday. The actor was a first-time offender with no criminal record. He said Majors must undergo a 52-week, in-person batterer's intervention program in Los Angeles. He must also continue mental health therapy, according to his lawyers. A no-contact order with his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari and a year in jail await Majors if he violates the rules.
Majors, dressed in black, and his girlfriend, actress Meagan Good, departed the courthouse without speaking to reporters. According to his lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, the actor did not want to make any public statements that Jabbari could use against him in her legal complaint.
She said Majors is “committed to growing as a person” and will undergo court-mandated programs “with an open heart” despite his innocence and plans to appeal. “He’s lost his whole career,” Chaudhry testified. “This was his hardest year. Jabbari, choking back tears in court, claimed Majors denies responsibility and remains a threat.
“He’s not sorry. “He has not accepted responsibility,” she remarked. "He will hurt other women again. He thinks he's above the law.” Jabbari said Majors made her think they were in a romantic relationship, but he actually separated her from family and friends. “I was so emotionally dependent on him,” she claimed. His presence made me little, terrified, and defenseless.
Assistant District Attorney Kelli Galloway pushed for a term of violence counseling for Majors, saying he had launched a “high-powered PR campaign” that included a nationally televised interview to criticize the court procedures. Marvel Studios, which had cast Majors as Kang the Conqueror, the principal villain in the entertainment empire's movies and TV shows for years, fired him after the December guilty decision.
Jabbari accused him of attacking her in the backseat of a chauffeured car last March, saying he slapped her head with his open palm, pulled her arm behind her back, and crushed her middle finger until it broke. Majors said the 31-year-old British dancer was the aggressor, bursting into jealousy after receiving a woman's text on his phone. He claimed he was just looking for his phone and leaving Jabbari securely.
Majors anticipated his two-week criminal trial would exonerate him. He stated he deserves a second opportunity in a TV interview after his conviction.
The Yale University graduate from California still faces Jabbari's civil complaint, filed last month in Manhattan federal court. Jabbari sued Majors for assault, battery, defamation, and inducing mental distress, alleging that he abused her physically and verbally during their relationship. Majors played Kang in Marvel's “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” where they met in 2021.
While planning to suit against Jabbari, Majors' lawyers have not responded to the claims. The actor made his mark in 2019's "The Last Black Man in San Francisco." He starred in the HBO horror series “Lovecraft Country,” which won him an Emmy nomination, and as Adonis Creed's enemy in “Creed III.” Marvel may recast Kang or take a fresh approach. Majors' exit was one of several high-profile failures for the superhero factory, which has made $30 billion globally from 33 films.
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