Jonathan Majors faces trial after the judge refuses to dismiss the case
A New York judge declined Wednesday to dismiss all charges against actor Jonathan Majors related to a domestic dispute in March that briefly sent his career into freefall.
The defense argued that the prosecutor lacked evidence to support the assault and harassment charges against Majors and violated the Speedy Trial Act.
“I reject the defense’s motion to dismiss,” said Judge Michael Gaffey, noting that the prosecution has only been ongoing for 71 days.
Majors, seen remotely, did not comment during the 10-minute hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court.
The ruling, which clears Majors’ path to trial, marks the latest legal blow against the Marvel star in a case involving his March 25 fight with ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari.
Prosecutors say Jabbari tried to grab Major’s phone during a car ride after she saw a message that said, “I wish I kissed you now.” In response, Majors grabbed her arm, placed it behind her body and used his right hand to twist her right arm and fingers during the altercation, a criminal complaint states. The majors also allegedly struck Jabbari on the right arm, causing a “cut” before pushing her into a car with both hands.
Despite vehement denials from the majors, the allegations immediately sparked outrage in Hollywood. Shortly after his arrest, he was fired from his management, his PR company and a number of upcoming productions and campaigns.
Since then, Majors’ legal team has gone to great lengths to prove his innocence in the court of public opinion. In June, Majors filed a domestic violence complaint with the NYPD against his accuser, insisting that he was the one who was attacked that night.
The actor’s legal team also released surveillance video that allegedly showed Gabbari at a club after the alleged attack occurred, as well as text messages that defense attorney Priya Chaudhry said provided context and cleared Majors of the attack.
Chaudhry previously told The Daily Beast that Majors was the real victim of the attack and that her client “taunted” him when she showed emergency responders his injuries that night. (She did not provide further details about this alleged officer-related incident, and prosecutors previously declined to comment.)
“None of the white officers present investigated the attack on Mr. Majors. Worse, the district attorney has indicated no intention to press charges against the woman or even investigate the truth,” the attorney said in a statement in June. “This blatant double standard between the treatment of Jonathan Majors, a 200-pound black man, and his accuser highlights the racial bias that permeates the criminal justice system.”
Ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, press reports surfaced that Jabbari may face charges in connection with the domestic dispute and that he is expected to voluntarily report to the New York Police Department to receive a desk attendance ticket. In June, The New York Times And insider also reported that police had evidence that suggested Jabbari was the one who attacked Majors.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office previously said in an Oct. 13 filing that if police did decide to charge Jabbari, they would decline to prosecute the charge. The application also reveals that prosecutors have received a report from the London Metropolitan Police about an incident from September 2022 that they believe is relevant to their case. Details of the incident are not immediately clear.
“The facts of this case have been thoroughly investigated, and in doing so, the people have chosen to prosecute Jonathan Majors,” prosecutors said in a motion. “Just because the defense attorney disagrees with the public prosecutor’s discretion does not follow that no investigation was conducted.”
