Jonathan Majors
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Jonathan Majors is working to salvage his reputation and career by declaring his innocence in an interview on Jan. 8 before sentencing – a move experts say is legally and professionally risky.
The “Creed III” and “Marvel” actor was convicted by a jury in December of third-degree criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, and second-degree harassment, a misdemeanor. The charges stem from a March 25 incident in a car in which Majors' ex-partner, Grace Jabbari, said she saw a text message on his phone indicating he was cheating on her, and she on him taken off. She said the actor then injured her by, among other things, removing her finger from the phone and hitting her in the head as he tried to take the phone away from her, and later throwing her back into the car.
Majors faces up to a year in prison on these charges and has already suffered a catastrophic career downturn as a result, with Marvel Studios firing him as the lead in an upcoming Avengers film (and countless other appearances) just hours after the verdict. Meanwhile, his potential awards contender Magazine Dreams remains in limbo at Disney-owned studio Searchlight.
But the majors' talent agency, WME, still represents him, and his agent, Elan Ruspoli, was one of the witnesses the defense team called to testify on his behalf. At the time, Ruspoli said Majors called him daily, including on the morning of March 25, when Majors attempted to gain entry to the locked bedroom area of his apartment (Jabbari, who was inside, testified that she did not hear Majors' attempts to get in had). ). Ruspoli testified that Majors sounded “beyond concerned.”
Majors' interview with ABC News' “Good Morning America” (a sister studio of the Disney studio that fired the actor) is the first time he has spoken out since his conviction in December, trying to be “brave.” to be and accept”. Responsibility” for one’s own history. Majors did not testify during the trial.
In the interview, Majors disputed Jabbari's version of events, adding that he had never hit a woman or been involved in domestic violence in any of his relationships. He noted that he did not know how Jabbari sustained the injuries, but said he had “no doubt” that he was not the cause. His only responsibility, he argued, was the car and the relationship.
“I shouldn’t have been in the car. I shouldn't have gotten out of the relationship. I shouldn’t have been in the relationship,” he said. “If I’m not in the car, none of this happens.”
However, with the Majors still facing sentencing on February 6, this strategy could backfire. Cary London, a civil rights and criminal defense attorney at Shulman & Hill, points out that it is “very unusual” for a defendant to have an interview between conviction and sentencing, with most avoiding such a step for fear of it it could have a negative impact on the judge's sentencing decision. Many observers, including London, previously did not believe Majors would go to prison, but the interview presents a new factor to consider.
“The judge has a variety of tools at his disposal in sentencing, including anger management, community service, other programs and prison time. If the defendant says something that upsets the judge or insults the integrity of the justice system, I can easily imagine the judge giving them an impression of prison,” London says.
During the interview, Majors expressed his “shock” at the verdict: “How is this possible?” Based on the evidence, based on the prosecution's evidence, not to mention our evidence.” GMA released a statement from the prosecution saying said that Major's statements in the interview showed a “clear lack of remorse.”
While Kate Mangels, a partner at Kinsella Holley, notes that the facts of the crime could be given greater consideration in sentencing, she says Major's lack of remorse could influence the judge's decision. Additionally, prosecutors could bring the interview to the judge's attention, and Jabbari could also include it in a victim impact statement.
But she thinks public perception may have outweighed that risk for the majors. “From a purely legal perspective, it would be wiser to wait until after the verdict has been announced before making a public statement. But Majors is likely balancing other factors such as public relations and his future career opportunities,” Mangels says.
During the interview, Majors was asked if he thought he would work in Hollywood again. “Yes I do. I pray I do,” he said.
But as one crisis PR expert speaking anonymously says, this interview could also be a very “high-risk, low-reward strategy” for the majors' careers, considering the verdict is still out and all the bad news on that front will likely outweigh any positive outcomes that the interview might produce. That's not to say he'll never make a career comeback in the majors, but this source believes it's unlikely he'll reach a major turning point in his career in the next few weeks, especially with this interview. The crisis PR expert adds: “You can’t rebuild your house while the hurricane is still raging above us.”
This story appeared in the January 10 issue of magazine. Click here to login.