Actor Jonathan Majors avoids jail time in domestic violence case, judge rules

Jonathan Majors, whose promising acting career stalled after a domestic violence conviction in New York, was sentenced Monday to domestic violence programming after the judge decided "jail is not necessary."

Majors must complete a 52-week in-person batterers intervention program in Los Angeles, continue mental health counseling and stay away from the victim, his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari, said Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Michael Gaffey.

Majors faced a maximum sentence of 364 days in jail, but the Manhattan district attorney’s office did not seek jail time. Instead, prosecutor Kelli Galaway said domestic violence programming along with an order of protection against Jabbari would suffice.

"This defendant is no longer cloaked with the presumption of innocence," Galaway said. "Despite the jury’s verdict, the defendant has still refused to accept any responsibility for his actions."

Jabbari said in a victim impact statement that Majors "remains a danger to others."

Jabbari spoke of "extreme physical and emotional pain" she said she sustained "both immediately and over the months that followed" their March 2023 altercation.

"When I was with him I became a different version of myself. I was small, scared and vulnerable," Jabbari said from the podium. "He is not sorry. He has not accepted responsibility. And he will do it again. He will abuse other women.”

Majors embraced his current girlfriend, actress Meagan Good, before taking his seat at the defense table ahead of sentencing. Majors read from the Bible before the judge took the bench.

Defense attorney Priya Chaudhry said Majors declined to speak at sentencing due to Jabbari’s civil lawsuit against him.

"This has been the most challenging year of Mr. Majors’ life," Chaudhry said. "He promises to complete whatever program the court orders with an open heart."

She added, "We are optimistic Mr. Majors will work in the film industry again soon."

Majors, 34, was convicted of one count of misdemeanor third-degree assault and one count of second-degree harassment, but acquitted of two other counts of assault and aggravated harassment in a split verdict following a trial in December 2023.

The mixed verdict signaled the jury believed Majors recklessly assaulted his ex-girlfriend but did not intentionally do so.

The charges stemmed from a March 2023 altercation with his then-girlfriend in a for-hire SUV in Manhattan.

Jabbari testified during the trial that she tried to grab his phone after seeing a message pop up saying, "I wish I was kissing you." She described in court Majors pulling her right hand behind her back while holding the phone in her left.

"It just felt like he was twisting my arm and my hand and trying to make me feel pain," she said in court.

Prosecutors said Jabbari fractured her finger and showed jurors photos taken by police of her injuries, including a cut to her ear and the bruised and swollen finger.

Majors declined to testify in his defense during the trial. In a sit-down interview with ABC News Live's Linsey Davis in January, his first after his conviction, he denied twisting her arm and causing those injuries.

"She went to grab the phone. I held the phone. I pulled the phone back. She came on top of me, squeezed my face, slapped me. That's all I remember," he said.

Last week, Gaffey declined to throw out the conviction as Majors requested.

"The jury reasonably could have concluded that Defendant recklessly caused physical injury to Ms. Jabbari," Gaffey wrote.

Jabbari sued the actor for defamation and other alleged injuries last month, according to the civil complaint.

She is seeking damages for physical injuries she said she suffered as a result of the incident. She also claimed Majors committed "intentional infliction of emotional distress" against her and "made knowingly false statements" about her during the interview with Davis, according to the civil complaint.

Chaudhry said in a statement to ABC News following the filing that Majors is preparing counterclaims against Jabbari.

Majors played the role of Kang in several Marvel films and TV shows, including the Disney+ series "Loki," and was set to return to the role in "Avengers: Kang Dynasty," slated for a 2026 release date.

Following the verdict, Marvel dropped Majors from future productions as the Marvel villain.

He was nominated for an Emmy for his lead role in the 2020 HBO series "Lovecraft Country."

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Marvel.