Jonathan Majors makes his first court appearance in his ongoing assault case ahead of an August trial date. In the middle of the biggest year of his career, which included starring roles in Creed III and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Majors was arrested on March 25 in Manhattan for alleged domestic violence involving a woman who was taken to the hospital with “minor injuries to her head and neck.” The actor was later charged with several counts of assault and aggravated harassment.
Today, Majors appeared in person in a Lower Manhattan courtroom for the first time in the ongoing criminal case. According to Variety, the embattled actor entered the courtroom wearing a brown suit and sunglasses, removing the latter before he approached the bench for a brief status conference, which only lasted about three minutes. During the proceedings, the judge ordered that his trial will start on August 3. Majors' attorney, Priya Chaudhry, issued the following statement after his court appearance:
We strongly requested the District Attorney dismiss all charges against Mr. Majors immediately and initiate proceedings against Ms. Jabbari, holding her able for her crimes. While we are hopeful that the District Attorney is reviewing these materials in good faith and will do the right thing soon, to accelerate our case, we’ve requested a trial date ASAP.
What To Expect From Jonathan Majors' Trial
Following the allegations and his arrest, Majors' legal representation has maintained his innocence and denied any and all wrongdoing on his part. Chaudhry has called the case a "witch hunt" and claimed it is "saturated with explicit and implicit bias." Chaudhry also alleges that the treatment of Majors, whom she described as a "Black man weighing 200 lbs," demonstrates the "racial bias that permeates the criminal justice system."
Other parties are not as confident in Majors' innocence. The actor was quickly dropped by his PR team at the Lede Company and his management, Entertainment 360. He's also been dropped from several projects including the feature film The Man in My Basement and ad campaigns for the Texas Rangers and U.S. Army. Marvel Studios has yet to comment on Majors' arrest or his future in the MCU. Loki season 2, which is scheduled to premiere in October, could be complicating matters since Majors reportedly has a large role.
Majors will be the latest actor involved in a high-profile trial after Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, and Danny Masterson. While Majors' trial might not be the media firestorm that was Depp v. Heard, it will likely be covered closely, considering his role in the MCU appears to be riding on the outcome. With Jonathan Majors' attorney maintaining his innocence and accusing the other party of assault, the trial is sure to be highly contested when it begins in early August.
Source: Variety
