Ex-girlfriend of actor Jonathan Majors files civil suit accusing him of escalating abuse, defamation
By Dave Collins, The Associated Press on March 19, 2024.
Jonathan Majors’ former girlfriend sued him Tuesday on civil allegations including assault, battery, defamation and infliction of emotional distress, three months after the actor was convicted in a criminal trial of assaulting her in New York City. Grace Jabbari, a 31-year-old British dancer, filed the action in federal court in Manhattan, claiming Majors subjected her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse from 2021 to 2023. “Grace Jabbari’s resolve has never wavered,” her lawyer, Brittany Henderson, said in an email to The Associated Press. “She has shown tremendous bravery in her quest for accountability. This action will shed light on the truth, bringing her the finality and justice that she deserves.” Majors, 34, maintained his innocence during the criminal case. A Manhattan jury convicted him in December of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment violation stemming from a confrontation with Jabbari the previous March. He also was acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment. Sentencing is set for April 8. Jabbari said Majors attacked her in a car and left her in “excruciating” pain; his lawyers alleged Jabbari was the aggressor. Priya Chaudhry, Majors’ lawyer in the criminal case, said in an emailed statement that the lawsuit “is no surprise. Mr. Majors is preparing counterclaims against Ms. Jabbari.” She did not elaborate. Other lawyers and a representative for Majors did not immediately return messages Tuesday. The “Creed III” star had hoped the criminal trial would vindicate him and restore his status as an emerging Hollywood star. But only hours after the verdict, Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Co. dropped him. The new lawsuit says Jabbari and Majors first met in August 2021, immediately started dating and she fell in love with him. The lawsuit alleges a series of incidents where Majors showed controlling and abusive behavior, including demands in June 2022 that she “never go anywhere again where she was not available for him to reach her at all times.” The next month, the suit claims, Majors became angry and threw her into a shower wall in Los Angeles, causing her to hit her head against the wall. In September 2022, after they had moved into a London flat together while he was filming the Marvel series “Loki,” Majors became angry at Jabbari for inviting her friend over to their new home, the suit says. “Majors picked Grace up in the air and threw her against the hood of her car,” the suit says. “Grace began shouting for help. Majors then forcefully grabbed Grace, placing her in a headlock and put his hand over her mouth to prevent someone from hearing her cries for help.” Majors then brought Jabbari into their flat and put his hands around her neck, saying he wanted to kill her, the suit alleges. He then started hitting her head against the marble floor “while strangling her until she felt she could no longer breathe,” the suit says. Jabbari said she did not seek medical attention after that incident, at Majors’ urging and his concerns about his career, the suit says. Majors also threatened to kill himself, the legal filing alleges. Despite the alleged abuse, Jabbari stayed with Majors, the suit says. “Like many victims of domestic violence, Grace believed Defendant Majors would change and stop abusing her,” it says. In December 2022, they moved into an apartment in New York. The abuse continued there, leading to the assault case against Majors, the suit says. In that case, Jabbari accused Majors of hitting her in the head with his open hand, twisting her arm behind her back and squeezing her middle finger until it fractured. Majors’ lawyers alleged she flew into a jealous rage after reading a text message – from another woman – on his phone. They said Jabbari had spread a “fantasy” to take down the actor, who was only trying to regain his phone and get away safely. The lawsuit also accuses Majors of defamation and malicious prosecution for allegedly lying in media interviews that he never abused Jabbari and filing a criminal complaint against her for the incident that led to his arrest, claiming he was the victim. “Majors went on to behave as many domestic abusers do by attempting to blame his victim,” the lawsuit says. Jabbari was briefly put under arrest at a New York City police station based on Majors’ claims, but prosecutors dropped all charges the next day. The lawsuit says Jabbari is seeking at least $75,000 in damages and other costs. 24-23
