Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines December 18
Fox News Flash top entertainment and celebrity headlines are here.
A jury convicted Jonathan Majors of assaulting his former girlfriend.
The Marvel and "Creed III" actor, 34, was found guilty of assault and harassment. He was also acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment.
The charges stemmed from a dispute between Majors and his girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, that began in the backseat of a chauffeured car and spilled into the streets of Manhattan one night last March. Jabbari testified about the "substantial" pain she suffered after he allegedly assaulted her in the backseat of a cab this spring.
"It is clear that the jury did not believe Grace Jabbari’s story of what happened in the SUV because they found that Mr. Majors did not intentionally cause any injuries to her. We are grateful for that," Priya Chaudry said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "We are disappointed, however, that despite not believing Ms. Jabbari, the jury nevertheless found that Mr. Majors was somehow reckless while she was attacking him."
Jonathan Majors was arrested in March after a physical altercation occurred between him and a former girlfriend. (Getty Images)
Chaudry further added: "Mr. Majors is grateful to God, his family, his friends, and his fans for their love and support during these harrowing eight months. Mr. Majors still has faith in the process and looks forward to fully clearing his name."
Majors' sentencing is set for Feb. 6.
"At the Manhattan D.A.’s Office, we are committed to centering survivors in all of our work. The evidence presented throughout this trial illustrated a cycle of psychological and emotional abuse, and escalating patterns of coercion far too common across the many intimate partner violence cases we see each and every day," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told Fox News Digital. "Today, a jury determined that pattern of abuse and coercion culminated with Mr. Majors assaulting and harassing his girlfriend. We thank the jury for its service and the survivor for bravely telling her story despite having to relive her trauma on the stand."
The New York district attorney charged Jonathan Majors with multiple counts of assault and harassment following his arrest in the alleged domestic dispute.
In documents obtained by Fox News Digital at the time, Majors was charged with two counts of assault in the third degree, aggravated harassment in the second degree, attempted assault in the third degree and harassment in the second degree.
Police responded to a 911 call in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, and upon a preliminary investigation, determined Majors assaulted a 30-year-old woman.
Jonathan Majors and Meagan Good arrive for closing arguments in his domestic violence trial on Dec. 15. (Getty Images)
Over four days of tearful testimony, Jabbari said Majors was excessively controlling and prone to fits of explosive rage that left her afraid "physically quite a lot." She broke down on the witness stand as a jury watched security footage from the aftermath of the backseat confrontation, which prosecutors said showed Majors "manhandling" her and shoving her back in the car "as if she was a doll."
Majors did not take the stand. But Priya Chaudhry said her client was the victim of "white lies, big lies, and pretty little lies" invented by Jabbari to exact revenge on an unfaithful partner.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Jabbari testified that Majors attacked her after she read a "romantic" text sent to the actor by another woman. Majors attempted to retrieve his phone from Jabbari – twisting her finger and pinning her arm behind her back, according to her testimony. He also allegedly struck her in the back of the head.
Majors' lawyer painted Jabbari as a bitter lover who used alcohol to cope with stress, suggesting that she may have blacked out key details about the night of the alleged assault.
Jabbari admitted to drinking several beverages before the attack and claimed she had been "welcomed" to a nightclub by a group of bystanders after the attack. She acknowledged taking shots of tequila with the strangers before eventually going home and vomiting in the bathroom. She called Majors several times before falling asleep.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
Jonathan Majors leaves Manhattan Criminal court after his pre-trial hearing on Aug. 3. (Getty Images)
Throughout the trial, Majors maintained that he was the victim of their confrontation.
Majors made his screen debut in the 2017 ABC miniseries "When We Rise" and became a member of the Marvel universe six years later, portraying Kang the Conqueror in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania."
He most recently starred in "Creed III."
After Majors was found guilty on Monday, a source confirmed to Fox News Digital that the actor was dropped by Marvel Studios. He was set to reprise the role of Kang in the Multiverse Saga.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trending
Who's making headlines in television, music, movies and more from Hollywood to the Heartland.