MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Hollywood star Jonathan Majors was on the verge of going supernova before things went south. His reputation had been boosted by projects like 'The Last Black Man in San Francisco,' 'Lovecraft Country,' 'The Harder They Fall,' and 'Creed III.' However, a complicated domestic violence case has recently dominated the news cycle with regards to Majors. Following an alleged domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, Majors was taken into custody on March 25 in Manhattan on felony counts of strangulation, assault, and harassment.
Since then, many people have come forward alleging Majors violated their rights since March and have been actively working with the Manhattan District Attorney's office to get the actor to pay for his deeds. It would be a dramatic turn in the case if more women were to come forward. However, many who have known Majors over the past ten years believe he has a history of abusive behavior in dozens of recent interviews with Rolling Stone.
'Silenced by an NDA'
Over the course of the three-month investigation, the outlet met with more than 40 anonymous people who were acquainted with Majors while he was in graduate school, during his stint in Hollywood, and through romantic relationships. In the article, Majors was characterized by many as being a difficult, unpredictable, and occasionally violent man who can change from being charming to being frigid in an instant. One of Majors' former employees claims, "My only response can be that I am silenced by an NDA he had me sign."
Their accounts point to a pattern of alleged abusive behavior that began during Majors' ten-year tenure at Yale's David Geffen School of Drama, where he engaged in physical altercations. Majors continued the behavior on the sets of his TV shows and movies, where production members voiced their concerns about his mistreatment of the crew.
Majors inflicted 'emotional torture'
According to more than a dozen sources, the most serious allegation is that Majors reportedly abused two of his romantic partners, one physically and the other emotionally. One of those sources said, "It was pervasively known that he was [a good actor], and that he also would terrorize the people that he had dated." Nine of the sources indicate that Majors assaulted and emotionally and mentally tormented a woman who was dating him. According to allegations made by the second lady, her relationship with Majors was "emotional torture."
According to the reports, Majors was romantic with the woman initially but soon became controlling and erratic. One person alleges that the relationship turned into "really extreme abuse, physically and mentally," and that it eventually resulted in "him strangling her." According to two individuals, she made numerous attempts to leave and once had an exit strategy but continued the relationship.
Another source says Majors was "controlling" with this partner, and a second source agrees that Majors demanded control over every aspect of their relationship, including what they ate and who they interacted with. According to several stories, he abused his influence over her to keep her from leaving him. There was allegedly "intense jealousy" in their relationship, according to a third person.
Details of the alleged abuse were independently confirmed by people who are familiar with the women or were there when the women were dating Majors. The article had several sources claim they felt "worried" by what they saw or heard from these two women at the time. One person acquainted with at least two of Majors' relationships adds, "My experience in dealing with him and watching him in relationships with several women [is] really upsetting. As an outside observer, it made me uncomfortable."
Jonathan Majors was 'hostile at work'
According to sources, Majors was violent at work as well. Most recently, two crew members claim the 33-year-old actor shoved one individual while on the set of the upcoming movie 'Magazine Dreams' and physically intimidated another while yelling at them, resulting in a complaint to producers. Executive producers, per the sources, warned them to allow Majors his space.
These fresh accusations are related to Majors' ongoing legal battle over the most recent domestic abuse case, the trial for which will begin on August 3. Majors' legal team has aggressively refuted the lady's claims, and the day following his court appearance, Majors filed his own police report against the woman, alleging he was the victim of the domestic conflict.
'These allegations are based entirely on hearsay'
Jonathan Majors' lawyer, Dustin A Pusch, issued a statement in which he fiercely denied the untrue accusations that Majors had assaulted anyone, especially any of his previous partners. Pusch added: "These allegations are based entirely on hearsay because neither of the romantic partners referenced were willing to engage with [Rolling Stone] for the article—demonstrating their outright falsity." Pusch continued that the 'Creed III' actor "also denies any allegations of abuse, violence, or intimidation during his time at Yale."
Pusch further said: "The allegations that Mr Majors got physical with or physically intimidated anyone on any movie set are downright false. Everyone who has worked with Mr. Majors knows that he employs an immersive Method acting style, and while that can be misconstrued as rudeness at times, those who know Mr. Majors and work in the industry have attested to his dedication to his craft as well as his kindness."
In the latest update on the case, Majors’ legal team handed over evidence to the NYPD to show Majors was attacked by Grace Jabbari and not the other way around. “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,” said Majors' attorney Priya Chaudhry, as per Entertainment Weekly.
