Jonathan Majors convicted in split verdict, dropped from Marvel
ANASTASIA TSIOULCAS, BYLINE: Jonathan Majors, the rising Hollywood star who you might remember as the Marvel character Kang the Conqueror or from the movie "Creed III," was convicted today on two charges of assault and harassment of a former girlfriend. He had been charged with four counts, so this was a split verdict. NPR culture correspondent Anastasia Tsioulcas was in the courtroom in Manhattan today. I do want to note that discussion of suicide is part of this case. Hey, Anastasia.
TSIOULCAS: Hey there, Mary Louise.
MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:
What was the incident at issue?
TSIOULCAS: So both sides agree there was an argument between Majors and his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, in Manhattan back in March. They argued in a car after Jabbari saw texts Majors received from another woman. And prosecutors said Jabbari grabbed the actor's phone and Majors attacked her trying to get it back. He eventually jumped out of the car at an intersection, and there was video evidence at the trial that showed her trying to follow him. Majors then picked her up and shoved her back into the car. And then he took off running down the street, and she chased after him.
KELLY: And then things did not end there. What happened next?
TSIOULCAS: Not at all. Later, he went to a hotel, while Jabbari - who testified that she didn't want to be alone after the attack - went out to a club. When Majors returned to his apartment, he allegedly found her unconscious and called 911 to report that she may have tried to commit suicide. The jury heard that 911 call, but when the NYPD arrived, they found Jabbari with cuts, bruises and a broken finger. She was examined and cleared of mental health concerns, and then Majors was arrested.
KELLY: I want to circle back to the detail I mentioned. He had been charged with four counts. He was convicted today on two. Do we know why the verdict was split?
TSIOULCAS: Sure. The charges he was found guilty of were assault and harassment. But the jury did not find him guilty on the charges of intentional assault and aggravated harassment. So essentially, they're saying they didn't believe he'd gone into the situation intending to hurt Jabbari.
KELLY: Huh. OK, so what should we make of that split verdict?
TSIOULCAS: Well, a split verdict is always a bit of a puzzle, right? In a statement, Majors' lawyer said he was both grateful and disappointed. And in this case, the jury had also heard quite a bit of evidence that the March incident was not the first time Majors may have tried to hurt Jabbari. In a series of text messages between them from 2022, the couple discussed a prior conflict in which Jabbari suffered head injuries. Majors threatened to kill himself, writing, I'm a monster, a horrible man not capable of love. The jurors also heard an audio recording of a separate argument in which Majors told Jabbari that she needed to be more supportive of him, like Coretta Scott King or Michelle Obama.
KELLY: So what happens now for Majors?
TSIOULCAS: Well, most immediately, he'll be sentenced on February 6, so then we'll know how much prison time he'll face. But the professional fallout has definitely begun. A whole movie from Marvel centering Kang was planned for 2026, but NPR has just confirmed Marvel is dropping the actor.
KELLY: NPR's Anastasia Tsioulcas. Thanks so much.
TSIOULCAS: Thanks for having me.
KELLY: And a note - the mental health hotline is 988.
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