Over eight months following it the first report that Jonathan Majors had been arrested and hit with charges of assault, attempted assault and aggravated harassment toward ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari, the Creed III actor is now officially on trial for these claims. Majors’ trial kicked off on November 29 and is expected to last for two weeks. Thus far, Judge Michael Gaffey has made two rulings regarding the assault case that could have implications for upcoming Marvel movies.
Ahead of the trial really getting underway at the New York County Criminal Court, Judge Michael Gaffey made two major rulings in the case prior to opening statements. Let’s get into them:
The Jury Will Learn About Grace Jabbari’s Arrest
The first ruling Gaffey made is that the jury will get to hear evidence regarding the arrest of Grace Jabbari. The incident took place in October 2023 before all charges were swiftly dropped and the matter became “closed and sealed,” per AP. Jabbari was briefly arrested at a New York City police station on the evening of October 25 and charged with misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief before the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office decided to decline prosecuting the case against her because it lacked “prosecutorial merit.”
Gaffey shared with the court that he felt the information regarding Jabbari’s arrest “should be put before a jury” as they assess her assault claims against Jonathan Majors. Jabbari will also be allowed to testify during the trial. Thus far, Jabbari has recounted (via NBC News) how a “kind and loving” relationship that began on the set of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, before claiming that it became abusive. She alleged that the altercation in question began when Majors found out she had confided in a friend regarding their relationship. On the other hand, Majors’ attorneys have claimed that Jabbari had instigated the altercation in his own countersuit against her.
An Evidence Seal Will Be Enforced
The second major ruling to occur thus far now that Jonathan Majors’ trial is underway is the enforcement of a seal on some sealed evidence against the actor. Judge Gaffey called the said evidence, which reportedly involves information on prior incidents against Majors, not only in the U.S. but extends his legal issues across the pond as “prejudicial and inflammatory” to the ongoing proceedings.
The ruling benefits Majors more than Jabbari, as some of that evidence may have helped her prove her stance on the assault case. Since Jabbari made her claims back in March, Jonathan Majors has been dropped from various projects, including his critically-acclaimed film Magazine Dreams being dropped from Searchlight’s calendar altogether. There are also rumors that Marvel may be distancing itself from the actor and its intended Kang storyline.
You can read the full timeline of Jonathan Majors’ legal issues and allegations here on CinemaBlend.
