A New York City judge on Wednesday declined to dismiss all charges against actor Jonathan Majors in connection with a March domestic dispute that briefly sent his career into freefall.
The defense has argued that prosecutor lack evidence to support the misdemeanor assault and harassment charges against Majors and had violated the Speedy Trial Act.
“I am denying the defense’s motion to dismiss,” Judge Michael Gaffey said, noting that the prosecution has only been going on for 71 days.
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Majors, who appeared on a remote link, did not speak during the 10-minute hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court.
The ruling paves the way for Majors to stand trial on Nov. 29 and grants a new protection order for his alleged vicim and ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, in connection with the March 25 dispute.
Prosecutors say that during a car ride, Jabbari tried to grab Majors’ phone after she saw a message that read, “wish I was kissing you right now.” In response, Majors grabbed her arm, placed it behind her body, and used his right hand to twist her right arm and finger during the altercation, a criminal complaint states. Majors also allegedly hit Jabbari across her right arm and caused a “laceration” before he pushed her into a car with both hands.
Despite vehement denials from Majors, the allegations sparked immediate outrage in Hollywood. Soon after his arrest, he was dropped from his management, PR firm, and a number of upcoming productions and campaign. In June, Rolling Stone published a bombshell report alleging Majors displayed abusive behavior toward crew members, former romantic partners, and his Yale School of Drama classmates.
Since then, Majors’ legal team has gone to great lengths to try to prove his innocence in the court of public opinion. In June, Majors filed a domestic violence NYPD complaint against his accuser in which he insisted that he was the one who was assaulted that night.
The actor’s legal team also released a surveillance video of Gabbari allegedly at a club after the alleged assault and text messages that the defense attorney, Priya Chaudhry, said provided context and cleared Majors of the attack.
Chaudhry previously told The Daily Beast that Majors was the true victim of the assault and that when her client showed responding officers his injuries that night, they “taunted him.” (She has not provided any further details into this alleged officer-related incident, and the District Attorney’s office 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,” the lawyer stated 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.”
Prior to Wednesday’s hearing, news reports surfaced that Jabbari may face charges in connection with the domestic dispute and is expected to voluntarily report to the New York City Police Department to receive a desk appearance ticket. In June, The New York Times and Insider also reported that police had evidence that suggested Jabbari was the one who attacked Majors.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office previously said in an Oct. 13 motion that if police did decide to charge Jabbari, it would decline to prosecute those charges. The motion also revealed prosecutors have obtained a London Metropolitan Police report about a Sept. 2022 incident they say is relevant to their case. Details of the incident are not immediately clear.
“A thorough investigation was conducted into the facts of this case and, in doing so, the People have chosen to prosecute Jonathan Majors,” prosecutors said in a motion. “Simply because defense counsel does not agree with the People’s use of prosecutorial discretion, it does not follow that an investigation was not conducted.”
