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The jury deliberations have begun in the trial of Marvel star Jonathan Majors, who is accused of assaulting his former girlfriend Grace Jabbari.
Meanwhile, Mr Majors’ current girlfriend, actress Meagan Good, has stood by his side during the trial.
On Wednesday, the defence rested its case after Judge Michael Gaffey permitted the release of a wealth of evidence, including text messages, photographs, footage, a recording of the actor calling himself a “great man” and the 911 call made on the night of the alleged attack.
The text messages, which are allegedly between Ms Jabbari and Mr Majors, show the actor dissuading her from going to the hospital following a separate alleged altercation in September 2022, saying “it could lead to an investigation even if you do lie and they suspect something”.
Meanwhile, in an audio recording, Mr Majors is heard telling the dancer he needs a “great woman” similar to Michelle Obama or Coretta Scott King. Footage then shows the couple battling on the streets of New York.
On Thursday, the defence delivered closing arguments, painting Ms Jabbari as a “liar” and accusing her of “revenge partying” after the alleged assault. In its closings, the prosecution called the private driver a “biased witness to the man who paid him.”
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Jonathan Majors rants ‘I’m a great man’ in recording
Jonathan Majors calls himself a “great man” and compares himself to Martin Luther King Jr and Barack Obama in an audio recording played during his assault trial.
The evidence released on Wednesday includes text messages in which Majors threatened to commit suicide and an audio recording of an argument in which Majors told Jabbari she needed to act more like Coretta Scott King or Michelle Obama.
In the recording, which dates from September 2022, Majors can be heard asking Jabbari whether she really loves him. When she says she does, he responds: “Then how dare you come home drunk and disturb the peace of our house when we have a plan.”
Kelly Rissman15 December 2023 15:00
“She was revenge partying and charging champagne to the man she was angry with,” the defence attorney said of Grace Jabbari on Thursday.
“The strangers she went clubbing with told you. The videos showed you. She had a ball,” Priya Chaudhry continued. The attorney added that footage seemed to show Jabbari “smoking , illegally, in a nightclub with her right hand, her left busy holding her glass of champagne,” arguing that she didn’t appear to be hurt after the alleged assault.
“His fear of what happens when a Black man in America calls 911 came true. And now we’re here,” Ms Chaudhry said.
“You are here to end this nightmare for Jonathan Majors,” she says, also choking up, according to reports. “You are here to see what is obvious, what this evidence shows…Jonathan Majors is innocent.”
Kelly Rissman15 December 2023 13:00
Footage captures Grace Jabbari chasing Jonathan majors after alleged assault
Jonathan Majors can be seen tussling with former girlfriend Grace Jabbari before she chases him down a street in New York in newly-unsealed CCTV footage shown in court at his assault trial.
On Wednesday, Judge Michael Gaffey permitted the release of a trove of evidence, including pictures, text messages, photographs and a recording of the Marvel star calling himself a “great man”.
Mr Majors, 34, was arrested in March in Manhattan after Ms Jabbari accused him of slapping her, throwing her into a car after she exited it, twisting her arm and injuring her hand.
He is charged with misdemeanors, including assault, and could be sentenced to up to a year in jail if convicted. Mr Majors has pleaded not guilty.
Also released on Wednesday was extensive CCTV footage showing how the events on the night of March 25 unfolded.
Michelle Del Rey15 December 2023 06:00
What you missed on Thursday
Jurors heard closing arguments from both sides on Thursday.
The defence called Jabbari a “liar.”
“If you believe Grace, then despite Jonathan Majors telling her how dangerous it is for a Black man to call the police in America, despite that, he beat her badly in a car that was both in his own name and then he called 911 himself,” the defence attorney said.
“If you believe Grace, then Jonathan caused these injuries and then he told the 911 operator about her injuries, and then he told the cops who showed up at his apartment that they had an argument the night before,” she continued.
“You probably have your own list of the greatest lies that Grace has ever told you. But I want to end this nightmare for Jonathan now, immediately, and as quickly as possible. It’s just fake. Nothing she says makes sense. Nothing she says is medically possible,” the attorney added.
After the defence wrapped up their closings, the prosecution pleaded with jurors to believe Jabbari. “She told the officers how she didn’t know how she sustained the injuries,” the prosecutor said, underscoring Jabbari’s mental state in protecting Majors.
The prosecutor pointed out that Jabbari was forced to relive the events during this trial. “Why would she put herself through this, for what? What does she gain?”
Kelly Rissman15 December 2023 04:00
Recap: Why is Jonathan Majors on trial for assault?
Earlier this year, actor Jonathan Majors was set to become the next great supervillain in the Marvel multiverse.
Now, the breakout star with major roles in films including Creed III and Loki is on trial for allegedly assaulting his then-girlfriend during an argument last spring and could spend a year in jail if convicted.
Mr Majors, 34, was arrested in March in Manhattan after Grace Jabbari accused him of slapping her, throwing her into the car after she exited it, twisting her arm and grabbing and injuring her hand.
He is charged with misdemeanors including assault and could be sentenced to up to a year in jail if convicted. Majors has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Kelly Rissman15 December 2023 01:00
Kelly Rissman14 December 2023 21:45
The judge is instructing the jury
The instructions are expected to take an hour, according to reports, and the judge started giving the jurors instructions at 2.45pm.
Kelly Rissman14 December 2023 20:20
WATCH: CCTV shows Jonathan Majors shoving girlfriend before she chases him
CCTV shows Jonathan Majors shoving girlfriend before she chases him
Kelly Rissman14 December 2023 19:24
Prosecution has something to say about the chaffeured driver
Earlier this week, a private car driver testified — through a translator — that while he was watching the road, he had “a feeling the girl had hit the boy…because of the way that she was fighting, and the sounds produced.”
Today during closing arguments, the prosecutor blasted his testimony: it “reveals him to be a biased witness to the man who paid him.”
Kelly Rissman14 December 2023 18:45
Prosecution pleads with jurors
“She told the officers how she didn’t know how she sustained the injuries,” the prosecutor said, underscoring Jabbari’s mental state in protecting Majors.
The prosecutor pointed out that Jabbari was forced to relive the events during this trial. “Why would she put herself through this, for what? What does she gain?”
Kelly Rissman14 December 2023 18:30