Ex-girlfriend of actor Jonathan Majors files civil suit accusing him of escalating abuse, defamation

Jonathan Majors’ former girlfriend sued him on civil allegations including assault, battery, defamation and infliction of emotional distress, three months after the actor was convicted in a criminal trial of assaulting her

Jonathan Majors' former girlfriend sued him on Tuesday on civil allegations including assault, battery, defamation and infliction of emotional distress, three months after the actor was convicted in a criminal trial of assaulting her in New York City. Grace Jabbari, a 31-year-old British dancer, filed the action in federal court in Manhattan, claiming Majors subjected her to escalating incidents of physical and verbal abuse from 2021 to 2023.

“Grace Jabbari's resolve has never wavered,” her lawyer, Brittany Henderson, said in an email to The Associated Press. “She has shown tremendous bravery in her quest for accountability. This action will shed light on the truth, bringing her the finality and justice that she deserves.”

Majors, 34, maintained his innocence during the criminal case. A Manhattan jury convicted him in December of one misdemeanour assault charge and one harassment violation stemming from a confrontation with Jabbari the previous March. He also was acquitted of a different assault charge and of aggravated harassment. Sentencing is set for April 8.

Jabbari said Majors attacked her in a car and left her in “excruciating” pain; his lawyers alleged Jabbari was the aggressor. Priya Chaudhry, Majors' lawyer in the criminal case, said in an emailed statement that the lawsuit “is no surprise. Mr. Majors is preparing counterclaims against Ms. Jabbari.” She did not elaborate.

Other lawyers and a representative for Majors did not immediately return messages Tuesday. The Creed III star had hoped the criminal trial would vindicate him and restore his status as an emerging Hollywood star. But only hours after the verdict, Marvel Studios and the Walt Disney Co. dropped him.

The new lawsuit says Jabbari and Majors first met in August 2021, immediately started dating and she fell in love with him. The lawsuit alleges a series of incidents where Majors showed controlling and abusive behaviour, including demands in June 2022 that she “never go anywhere again where she was not available for him to reach her at all times.”

The next month, the suit claims, Majors became angry and threw her into a shower wall in Los Angeles, causing her to hit her head against the wall. In September 2022, after they had moved into a London flat together while he was filming the Marvel series Loki, Majors became angry at Jabbari for inviting her friend over to their new home, the suit says.