Opening statements began Monday in the assault trial of Marvel actor Jonathan Majors.
The Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star is charged with multiple misdemeanor counts for allegedly assaulting his then-girlfriend during a March dispute in New York City.
As they began to lay out their case on Monday, Manhattan prosecutors alleged Majors inflicted a “cruel and manipulative pattern of psychological and physical abuse” on former girlfriend Grace Jabbari, the Associated Press reported.
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The defense countered by saying Majors was the one assaulted during the March 25 confrontation.
Tensions between the actor and the choreographer escalated while they were riding in a chauffeured Cadillac Escalade.
According to prosecutors, the two began to argue when Jabbari noticed Majors received a flirty text message from a woman named Cleopatra that said “wish I was kissing you.”
Jabbari snatched the phone to read the message and Majors “began grabbing Ms. Jabbari’s body,” prosecutor Michael Perez told the jury during his opening argument.
“He grabbed and squeezed her hand, her right middle finger specifically,” and then “struck a blow that swiped across the right side of her head,” Perez said.
Defense attorney Priya Chaudhry said Majors was the real victim, and alleged Jabbari slapped, clawed and physically attacked the actor during the confrontation.
Chaudhry then accused Jabbari of making up a story about being assaulted out of “revenge” because Majors wanted to move on and “canceled her Mrs. Majors plan.”
“This is a case about the end of a relationship, not about a crime,” Chaudhry told the jury.
The defense attorney added that Jabbari went to a nightclub hours later and was seen on surveillance video “drinking champagne and doing shots” at the club.
Chaudhry claimed the only reason Majors was arrested was because he’s Black and Jabbari is White. The attorney suggested New York authorities were duped by Jabbari, who wanted to ruin Majors’ career.
“Even though the world may see him as a movie star, he is a normal person,” Chaudhry said. “His career was unstoppable until he ended the relationship with Ms. Jabbari and she made these false allegations.”
Majors is charged with assault in the third degree, three counts of attempted assault in the third degree, one count of aggravated harassment in the second degree, and one count of harassment in the second degree.
The actor has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
His legal team previously requested a motion to dismiss the case, which was denied by a judge.
Majors filed a counter-complaint against Jabbari in June, saying he was assaulted during the confrontation.
In October, Jabbari was arrested by the NYPD on misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief counts. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has said it has no plans to prosecute Jabbari.
