What Jonathan Majors' Lawyer Has Said About His Abuse Allegations

While actor Jonathan Majors has chosen not to publicly address charges he faces for allegedly assaulting an ex-girlfriend, his lawyer has definitely had plenty to say.

Priya Chaudry of the Chaudhry Law PLLC law firm has represented the Creed III star since he was arrested on March 25 in Manhattan during an incident with his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari.

The Hollywood star faces charges of two counts of assault in the third degree, aggravated harassment and attempted assault. His trial was due to start on Thursday at the Manhattan Criminal Court but was pushed back to September 6 after prosecutors asked for more time to prepare as they had not completed the discovery process.

If found guilty he could face up to a year in jail.

Chaudry has long maintained Majors' innocence over the incident, which allegedly took place in a New York cab, and even claimed her client was the one to call 911 to the Chelsea apartment and not Jabbari herself. She told Newsweek he made the call "due to concern for her mental health."

"Jonathan Majors is completely innocent and is provably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows. We are quickly gathering and presenting evidence to the District Attorney with the expectation that all charges will be dropped imminently," Chaudhry said in a March statement.

"This evidence includes video footage from the vehicle where this episode took place, witness testimony from the driver and others who both saw and heard the episode, and, most importantly, two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations. All the evidence proves that Mr. Majors is entirely innocent and did not assault her whatsoever.

"Unfortunately, this incident came about because this woman was having an emotional crisis, for which she was taken to a hospital yesterday. The NYPD is required to make an arrest in these situations, and this is the only reason Mr. Majors was arrested. We expect these charges to be dropped soon."

In a separate statement to Newsweek, Chaudry added: "To set the record straight: As confirmed by one of the woman's own written statements disavowing her allegations, it is Mr. Majors who called 911 due to concern for her mental health."

A few days later, Chaudry released a string of text messages allegedly between Majors and Jabbari.

"They assured me that you won't be charged. They said they had to arrest you as a protocol when they saw the injuries on me and they knew we had a fight," one text message read. "I'm so angry they did. And I'm sorry you're in this position. Will make sure nothing happens about this. I told them it was my fault for trying to grab your phone. I only just got out of hospital."

The texter then added in a separate message, "I love you."

The move sparked backlash by both medical professionals and domestic violence experts.

Author and sports reporter Lindsay Gibbs said on Twitter that the phrase "sent chills down my spine." She continued: "I've heard that line almost verbatim from so many [domestic violence] victims. We don't know all the facts of course, likely never will, but I pray she has a support system."

After some pre-trial court appearances, Chaudry confirmed Majors attended a Chinatown precinct to make a statement against Jabarri. Chaudry claimed Majors went there "to present them with evidence of what really happened on that night."

She also added that Jabarri was "drunk and hysterical" on the night she had allegedly attacked him in Chinatown, scratching and slapping his face, causing pain.

The NYPD had originally found probable cause to investigate Jabbari, a move Chaudry celebrated.

"Within hours of viewing the evidence, and conducting their own thorough investigation, the NYPD found probable cause to arrest Grace Jabbari for assaulting Jonathan Majors," Chaudhry told Newsweek. "Considering this development, we extend our gratitude to the NYPD detectives for their efforts."

However, the celebrations were short-lived when prosecutors decided not to press charges against Jabarri and an "incident card" calling for her to attend questioning at the precinct was canceled.

The NYPD told Newsweek in a statement at the time: "Regarding the incident that occurred on March 25, 2023, the investigation is ongoing. There are no additional arrests at this time."

Jabbari and Majors met while working on the Marvel film, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but their relationship seemingly ended after the March incident. Majors has recently been attending court with his new girlfriend, Meagan Good.

As for the start date of the trial being delayed, Chaudry said the process had been a "shameful ordeal" and "excruciating" for Majors, who has had his "life, career, and reputation torn apart."

"One hundred and thirty-one days ago, authorities unjustly cuffed Jonathan Majors in his own home, hauling him off to jail based on the word of a woman now hunted by the NYPD," she said in a statement via email to Newsweek on Thursday.

"Bravely, Jonathan Majors laid bare to the NYPD the relentless, alcohol-fueled abuse he suffered at the hands of Grace Jabbari, an enduring nightmare in their relationship. Now, as soon as Jabbari sets foot back in New York, the NYPD stands ready to arrest her."

Chaudhry added: "For an excruciating four months, Jonathan Majors, the real victim in this shameful ordeal, has had his life, career, and reputation torn apart. Yet he remains unwavering in his determination to be absolved from this harrowing ordeal."

Majors was considered Hollywood's new darling after landing the role of Kang the Conqueror, the new over-arching villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Along with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Majors appeared in the Disney+ series, Loki. The character Kang is set to also appear in the major upcoming Marvel films Avengers: The Kang Dynasty in 2025 and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2026.

While many speculated what impact the charges would have on his career, it seemed the MCU has not made a decision to drop the actor. He appears in the new trailer for the second Loki series.

Released earlier this week, the trailer showed Majors will join Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson and newcomer Ke Huy Quan in the series, which will premiere on October 6.

UPDATE: 08/07/2023, 7:06 A.M. ET. This story was updated to correct a spelling error.