US actor Jonathan Majors, known for playing Kang in the Marvel films, has been sued by his ex-girlfriend.
British choreographer Grace Jabbari filed a civil lawsuit on Tuesday in a New York federal court. She alleges she was a victim of battery, assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, malicious prosecution and defamation.
It comes three months after a jury convicted Majors of attacking and harassing Ms Jabbari. He could face up to a year in prison when he is sentenced in April.
Court documents submitted on Tuesday contain further allegations, with Ms Jabbari claiming Majors subjected her to a “pattern of pervasive domestic abuse that began in 2021 and extended through 2023”. The documents also detail several alleged violent interactions as well as “verbal assaults and frightening anger”.
The lawsuit also claims that in September 2022, Majors attacked Ms Jabbari and caused “serious injuries to her body”.
“Soon after, Grace disclosed the physical abuse to a member of Jonathan's management team in an effort to get him help. Majors was furious when he learned that Grace had outed him as an abuser,” it said.
Priya Chaudhry, a lawyer acting on behalf of Majors, said the lawsuit was “no surprise” and that Majors was “preparing counterclaims against Ms Jabbari”. Ms Jabbari's lawyer Brittany Henderson praised the British actress and said in a statement that it “takes true bravery to hold someone with this level of power and acclaim accountable”.
After Majors' criminal conviction in December, a Marvel spokesperson said the studio would no longer work with the actor. In an interview in January, he said he was “shocked” by the jury's verdict.
“Based off the evidence, based off the prosecution's evidence, let alone our evidence, how is that possible?” he told ABC News.
Majors played villain Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Disney+ series Loki, and was due to have the starring role in the planned Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
— CutC by bbc.com
