The rise of one of the biggest new names in Hollywood took a considerable hit last weekend when Jonathan Majors was arrested after an alleged assault charge. Not only did the news stun the actor’s many fans, coming so soon after his widespread domination of the cinema screen in back-to-back blockbusters Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Creed III, but it also led to various filmmakers in the industry speaking out against the star.
Recommended VideosNeverthless, Majors and his representative has hit back at the charge and the mark on his reputation. As first shared to TMZ, the Kang the Conqueror performer’s legal team released texts that allegedly come from Majors’ girlfriend, the unidentified woman he was arrested for assaulting after a public incident, supposedly involving strangulation and harassment, in New York City. The texts depict the individual being both denying that she was assaulted and even that the altercation was her “fault.”
While Majors’ lawyers are utilizing these texts to prove his innocence, they seem to be having the exact opposite effect in the eyes of the internet. Countless commentators are claiming that the messages read as “textbook” examples of someone suffering from an abusive relationship.
this lawyer is clearly counting on an audience that has ZERO knowledge about domestic violence because everything we've seen so far is *textbook* https://t.co/c7mRTPSV2d
— Wagatwe Wanjuki 🇰🇪 🇧🇸 (@wagatwe) March 30, 2023Not his lawyer effectively sharing evidence of an actual dynamic of abuse to, of all places, TMZ? I can’t tell if this is more callousness or profound incompetence (ie not realizing how absolutely awful it looks for this woman to be fawning like this) https://t.co/2gufMK6Upz
— Zoé (@ztsamudzi) March 30, 2023Anyone who has survived dv knows what this is.
You become addicted to your abuser and feel responsible for their choices.
— Black Ashley (@ashleysimpo) March 30, 2023Writer Roxane Gay was among those who fired back at the release of the texts.
Uhhh… Majors should fire the terrible lawyer who suggested releasing these texts. They don't… work in his favor, for obvious ass reasons. It's all a damn shame. https://t.co/PIlQMyQV7c
— roxane gay (@rgay) March 30, 2023Others spoke from their own experiences.
as a reporter I am imparting no official judgement on Majors… not yet, anyway, and not publicly. however, at the end of the day I’m a survivor of psychological, verbal, and sexual abuse, and I know how this cycle goes. (and yes, abuse is cyclical— rarely a one time incident.)
— mónica marie zorrilla (@monicroqueta) March 30, 2023The original incident occurred on the night of March 25, when the actor and his partner reportedly entered into an argument regarding him supposedly messaging another woman. As things escalated, the alleged assault occurred, after which Majors is known to have dropped his girlfriend off at another location and left on his own. In the morning, the police complaint was filed, leading to Majors’ arrest.
“Mr. Majors completely denies assaulting the woman,” reads a statement the actor’s reps made to the press, which also confirms reports that Majors had previously called 911 in response to his girlfriend’s “mental condition.” Majors’ Hollywood career has yet to be impacted at the time of writing, although a lucrative ad campaign with the U.S. army has been halted.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website, or text “START” to 88788.
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