33-year-old actor Jonathan Majors was arrested on Saturday in Manhattan, New York, following a woman’s allegations of sexual assault against him. Majors currently stands charged with strangulation and aggravated assault. The NYPD was called to the scene in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, to an apartment near West 22nd Street and Eighth Avenue.
The woman, who remains unnamed, was brought to a nearby hospital with minor injuries to her head and neck following the alleged altercation. Majors’ lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, said that he was “completely innocent and is provably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows.”
Majors’ legal team claims that the woman recanted her allegations against him. Chaudhry told the Los Angeles Times on Sunday that her team obtained “two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations.” Despite the alleged recanting of the allegations, a wave of consciousness surrounding the case continues to sweep social media and the entertainment industry.
Majors has seen a rapid rise in his career, starring in recent projects “Creed III,” “Devotion,” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” His roles have garnered praise from critics and fans alike, and the news of Majors’ charges was disappointing to many viewers across Twitter.
JONATHAN MAJORS DONE GOT ARRESTED FOR STRANGLING A WOMAN
BLACK JESUS.. SAY ITS A LIE !! pic.twitter.com/nBRgWpxa5U
— raveen marie ???????? (@xoraveen) March 25, 2023
When the initial disappointment at Majors’ charges set in, some took to social media to encourage more analytical perspectives on the situation. One Twitter user named Christina Brown (@keatingssixth) encouraged viewers to be more subjective about their favorite actors, as Majors never exhibited stereotypically violent traits in the past despite the recent allegations.
I’m not surprised about Jonathan Majors because men being violent don’t surprise me. But I truly did not expect all of this. Like…he really had the public so fooled and played up the “soft masculine, emotional” man. That was on purpose.
— Get Her, Jade! (@keatingssixth) March 26, 2023
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Others urged the entertainment industry to take all charges of domestic violence seriously, regardless of the sexual orientation or race of the alleged perpetrator. There are several white actors that continue to find work in Hollywood and media at large that stand accused of sexual assault.
Less than 24 hrs after Jonathan Majors is accused of assault, with no evidence and reports that the accuser has recanted, advertisers are pulling his campaigns.
When Dana White slapped his wife into next week on video, ESPN ordered employees to cover it up.
I wonder whyTE. pic.twitter.com/0kN2FDkNOX
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) March 26, 2023
In 24 hours Jonathan Majors has already received more press attention for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend than Dana White did for being caught on video slapping his wife around.
I wonder whyTE. pic.twitter.com/2BzwOk0AZu
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) March 26, 2023
Following the initial allegations, several former collaborators who have worked with Majors on Broadway and in Hollywood have come forward and alleged abusive on-set behaviors.
Broadway director, Tim Nikolai, corroborates alleged reports of Jonathan Majors’ abuse claims:
“He's a sociopath and abuser and that is how virtually everyone speaks about him. It's a shame it took this long for him to be reported.” pic.twitter.com/J9r1vF2igg
— Pop Tingz (@ThePopTingz) March 26, 2023
Chiiiii, he's about to be in contention with Da Baby. I saw someone these posted elsewhere… pic.twitter.com/Mlrwzka5Mr
— Nerdy Teddy (@ChoklateHulk) March 26, 2023
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Others urged the internet to stay vigilant and follow the news about the case. As of now, the two professionals alleging on-set abuse are white, and one Twitter user felt that this could be perpetuating the negative “angry Black man” stereotype.
I’m sorry but why is it behind every accusation of a popular black man is either a yt woman or a yt gay?! Y’all don’t get tired?! We damn sure do! I’m just saying. Hate me or not but the pattern is there….
— HausYONCÉ Unbreakable Soul (@WarrenLamar12) March 26, 2023
News later broke that Majors was arrested after he allegedly called 911 himself, over concern about his girlfriend’s mental state. Majors reportedly lives with his girlfriend in Manhattan.
https://twitter.com/Majidkhalil_/status/1640255362266742789?s=20
The unusual situation continues to turn heads, with some also arguing for people to take the victim’s alleged recanting of her statements with a grain of salt. Some went as far as accusing Majors’ team of coercing the woman into backing down from her allegations.
Jonathan Majors’ lawyer is already saying that the victim has recanted her statement and I would just like to point out that recanting when under pressure from someone you care about is incredibly common and means truly nothing as to whether an assault did or did not occur.
— Robyn Swirling (@RSwirling) March 26, 2023
Amid the chaos, Majors has been dropped from two U.S. Army advertisements that he provided voiceovers for, according to the Associated Press. The organization felt that Majors’ Gen Z appeal would reach younger audiences interested in pursuing military careers.
The Army’s Enterprise Marketing Office said that the Army was “deeply concerned by the allegations,” saying that while Majors is “innocent until proven guilty, prudence dictates that we pull our ads until the investigation into these allegations is complete.”
Majors’ charges are yet to be dropped at this time, and the evidence that could provide an alibi and prove his innocence as mentioned by Priya Chaudhry are yet to be presented.
