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After a domestic violence-related conviction ended with major hits to his public image and his career, Emmy-nominated actor Jonathan Majors is attempting to take back ownership of his narrative.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter ahead of his upcoming film Magazine Dreams, Majors reveals he is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse.
“I dealt with sexual abuse from both men and women from the time I was 9. From people who are supposed to look after you, in the absence of a father. I was f***ed up,” Majors said in the interview.
Majors said he enrolled in therapy after his trial and has learned how the abuse impacted his behavior in future relationships. “There are no excuses, but by getting help, you begin to understand things about yourself.”
After an immensely public trial in 2023, Majors was convicted of one count of misdemeanor third-degree assault and one count of second-degree harassment toward his ex-girlfriend, British actress and dancer Grace Jabbari. The case was full of drama, including a video that appeared to show Majors running away from Jabbari in the street, and him infamously comparing himself to Martin Luther King, Jr. while insisting that Jabbari needed to be more like King’s wife, Coretta Scott King. While he faced up to one year in prison, he was instead sentenced to probation and a 52-week domestic violence prevention program.
Before his conviction, Jonathan Majors had one of the most enviable positions in Hollywood. In the late 2010s and early 2020s, he gave memorable performances in renowned films such as The Last Black Man in San Francisco, Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, and opposite Michael B. Jordan Creed III. He received an Emmy nomination for his leading role in Lovecraft Country, a black historical horror fantasy series for HBO. He was also chosen to play Kang the Conqueror, the next major villain in the blockbuster Marvel Cinematic Universe, portraying the role in the Disney+ series Loki and the film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Since Marvel fired him from the role, Majors stepped away from the spotlight before slowly working to rebuild his image. He entered a new romantic relationship with actress Meagan Good, with the two announcing their engagement in November 2024. He was also announced to star in Merciless, directed by Martin Villeneuve, brother of Denis. But the next major step in his redemption arc is Magazine Dreams, in which he plays an aspiring bodybuilder.
Only time will tell if the public is willing to give Jonathan Majors another chance or not.