Jonathan Majors assault trial set after judge denies motion to dismiss case

Marvel star will face trial for alleged misdemeanor assault and harassment on 29 November

Jonathan Majors will face trial on domestic abuse charges after a New York judge rejected the defence’s motion to dismiss the case on Wednesday (25 October).

A trial date has been set for 29 November.

The Marvel actor, 33, was charged with assault and harassment in March this year after being accused of attacking his then-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, in New York. Majors has denied the claim, and accused the woman of attacking him.

Majors appeared in court virtually on Wednesday because he is currently out of state.

His lawyers also requested that certain evidence containing “sensitive information” remain sealed and not for public knowledge as “the disclosure of sensitive information will limit Mr Majors’ right to a fair trial”.

Judge Gaffey told the defence they could submit papers for this opposition by 6 November.

The Independent has contacted Majors’s lawyer for comment.

Jonathan Majors (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Yesterday, The Messenger first reported that prosecutors and police had discussed charging Jabbari with domestic assault.

However, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said in court filings that any discussion is over and has been since September.

“We intend to decline to prosecute any charges brought by the New York Police Department against Ms Grace Jabbari related to allegations made by Jonathan Majors regarding the incident that took place on March 23, 2023,” Manhattan prosecutor Erin Tierney wrote in a September email now in the case file.

The actor had last appeared before the court over Zoom on 15 September, when his team accused the prosecution of “attempt[ing] to bury” key evidence in the case, according to Rolling Stone.

During the March fight, Jabbari alleges she “sustained substantial pain, including a fractured finger, bruising about her body, a laceration behind her right ear, and a bump on her head”, according to court documents.

Majors, meanwhile, has alleged that Jabbari was the aggressor, claiming that she scratched at him and stole luxury items from his apartment, including a Rolex watch.

Jabbari, who is British, met Majors while working as a movement coach on this year’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, in which Majors plays the villain, Kang the Conqueror.

After news of the allegations broke, Majors was dropped by his management team, while the US Army pulled a number of advertisements featuring the actor from circulation. He was also reportedly dropped from a forthcoming adaptation of the Walter Mosley novel The Man in My Basement.

The national domestic abuse helpline offers support for women on 0808 2000 247, or you can visit the Refuge website. There is a dedicated men’s advice line on 0808 8010 327. Those in the US can call the domestic violence hotline on 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org