The woman who accused Jonathan Majors of attacking her in the back of a chauffeured car has surrendered to the New York police to face misdemeanor charges for her role in the March domestic dispute.
Grace Jabbari, a 30-year-old choreographer who once dated the Marvel star, arrived at a Manhattan police precinct on Wednesday evening to receive a desk appearance ticket on two misdemeanor charges. Jabbari’s attorney and director of the Incarcerated Gender Violence Survivors Initiative, Ross Kramer, confirmed to The Daily Beast that his client his arrested on two misdemeanor charges on Wednesday.
“Grace is super strong,” Kramer said. “We are disappointed when survivors are treated like perpetrators.”
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The charges stem from a counterclaim Majors filed with the NYPD in June, in which he alleged that he was the true victim of the late-night March 25 squabble. The New York Times and Insider reported in June that authorities had evidence to suggest Jabbari attacked Majors. The Messenger first reported her NYPD appearance earlier this week.
But while the desk ticket technically requires Jabbari to report to court at a later date, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has already made it clear that it does not plan to prosecute.
“The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has officially declined to prosecute the case against Grace Jabbari because it lacks prosecutorial merit. The matter is now closed and sealed,” a spokesperon told The Daily Beast on Thursday.
In a Oct. 13 motion, prosecutors also added that “a thorough investigation was conducted into the facts of this case and, in doing so, the People have chosen to prosecute Jonathan Majors.”
Prosecutors allege that during the couple’s car ride home at around 12:40 a.m., Jabbari tried to grab Majors’ phone after she viewed a text that read, “wish I was kissing you right now.” In response, Majors grabbed her arm and placed it behind her body before he used his right hand to twist her arm and finger, a criminal complaint says. Then, Majors allegedly hit his ex across her arm and caused a “laceration” before he pushed her with both hands.
During a brief Wednesday hearing, a New York judge struck down a defense motion to dismiss all charges against Majors, stating that the case has not violated the Speedy Trial Act and has enough evidence to go to trial. The trial is now set to begin on Nov. 26. Majors faces several misdemeanor assault and harassment charges and, if convicted, could spend up to a year in jail.
After Majors’ arrest, Rolling Stone published a bombshell report detailing the Lovecraft Country actor’s alleged abusive behavior toward crew members, at least two former romantic partners, and his Yale School of Drama classmates. His career briefly took a nose dive after the arrest and his management and PR firm fired him.
To combat the bad press, Majors’ defense team has gone to great lengths to prove his innocence. Defense lawyer Priya Chaudhry previously released surveillance video of Jabbari allegedly at a club after the assault. She also released text messages that allegedly provided context about the former relationship.
In Majors’ counter-claim, he also alleged that Jabbari was the aggressor that evening and stole his vintage Rolex. He added that she later injured herself alone in his apartment. Chaudhry has also argued that Majors is the true victim of the assault, stating that cops “taunted” the actor when they showed up at the scene. (Chaudhry has not provided any further details into the officer-related incident, and the district attorney’s office has previously denied comment.)
“None of the white officers present investigated the assault of Mr. Majors. Worse, the District Attorney has not indicated any intention to pursue charges against the woman or even investigate the truth,” Chaudhry said in a June statement. “This glaring double standard between the treatment of Jonathan Majors, a Black man weighing 200 lbs, and his accuser, highlights the racial bias that permeates the criminal justice system.”
