The trial of Marvel star Jonathan Majors has begun in New York on Wednesday, with the actor facing allegations of assault from his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari.
The charges stem from an alleged attack in March, which left Jabbari with bruises and a broken finger.
Majors, 34, was rising to prominence after roles in blockbusters including Creed III and Ant-Man. He could face a year in prison if convicted.
The actor denies the charges.
Shortly after presenting an award at the 2023 Oscars, Majors was arrested after police were called to a Manhattan apartment over a “domestic dispute”.
They said Jabbari, 30, suffered minor head and neck injuries and was taken to hospital.
In her complaint, Jabbari claimed that Majors slapped her and put his hand on her neck, injuring her and causing her “substantial pain”.
Majors brought a misdemeanour assault counter-complaint against Jabbari in June, alleging she attacked him.
In October, the New York Police Department arrested Jabbari in regards to the counter-complaint, but the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said she will not face prosecution.
A New York judge later denied a motion to dismiss the case, and after being rescheduled numerous times, the trial will finally begin on Wednesday.
Majors’ lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, has said the actor is “completely innocent”, adding that there is video footage and witness testimony to support their claim that he was the victim and that Jabbari has recanted her allegations.
The actor has reportedly been dropped by his management and public relations firm following charges.
The allegations have caused chaos for Marvel, which had set up Majors as the primary villain, Kang the Conqueror, and has forced the studio to reconsider spinoffs and series around Majors.
Marvel also pushed back the release date for the next two Avengers films – The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars.
Following his arrest, the US army announced it would temporarily pull advertisements featuring the actor that are part of a campaign to help with recruitment efforts.
In a statement, the Army’s Enterprise Marketing Office said that while Majors “is innocent until proven guilty”, it would be “prudent” of them to remove the ads until the investigation into the allegations is finished.
Majors’ breakthrough role was in 2019’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco. He went onto to star in the Netflix western The Harder They Fall and earlier this year played Michael B Jordan’s adversary in Creed III. (BBC)
