Jonathan Majors Sentenced to One Year of Counseling After Guilty Verdict in Domestic Assault Case

Former Marvel Cinematic Universe star Jonathan Majors has been sentenced to one year of domestic abuse counseling in a lower Manhattan court today, after being convicted of assaulting and harassing ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari. The actor will avoid the upwards of one year of jail time he could've potentially faced. 

According to the ruling from Judge Michael Gaffey, Majors will have to complete an in-person domestic abuse program in Los Angeles (where he's currently living), lasting 52 weeks; there's a stipulation that he could eventually switch to virtual sessions. Majors will also have to keep up with mental health therapy that he's already enrolled in and provide updates about his progress to the court about his progress. The judge also made permanent the order of protection that requires Majors to avoid any and all contact with Jabbari. 

Majors was found guilty of two misdemeanor counts of harassment and assault against Jabbari just before Christmas Day last year. His legal team put out a statement trying to maintain his innocence: 

"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. 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. 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."

Since the guilty verdict was reached, Majors' career has been in freefall. He was let go from his role as Kang the Conqueror in the MCU, losing out on years worth of appearances as the new big bad of the franchise. Disney even gave away the rights to Majors' Bodybuilder prestige pic vehicle Magazine Dreams so the filmmakers can find a new distributor; the actor's management team dropped him, and he's been fired from some big upcoming films, including a biopic about music star Otis Redding. 

Majors finally spoke up about the case and its verdict early this year, during a highly-publicized interview with GMA. He pointed to the abuse he's witnessed in his own life as alleged reasoning for why doesn't commit abuse himself: 

"I've witnessed [assault] but never participated. I've been smacked up before never exercised it," Majors said. "Those relationships went back to when I was 21, 22 years old and I just think, 'Was I a jerk? Was I a mean guy?' Knowing what I know now, severe depression, childhood trauma. I've had very few relationships, so I can gather what situations we're talking about. I was not the best boyfriend all the time. [I've] never hit a woman. I've never put my hands, struck a woman, ever."

During the sentencing, Grace Jabbari offered a statement about the impact of the assault on her, making it clear she still feels no remorse from Majors, nor does she believe he will change: 

"He will do this again. He will hurt another woman. This is a man who believes he's above the law," Jabbari said to the court. "I had a career and life and body, all of which he's damaged. I will not rest until he's not a danger. He refuses to acknowledge guilt and take responsibility. He remains a danger to all those around him. I've seen his anger and he doesn't have control over it,"

Source: Variety