Marvel star Jonathan Majors begged his accuser "not to go to hospital" and warned her of a possible "investigation," new text messages from September 2022 reveal.
The messages were read out in court on Friday December 8 as he stands trial for assault in a separate domestic violence case. The 34-year-old actor texted Grace Jabbari, 30, in September 2022, with Grace reading out loud the thread of messages to the jury.
“I fear you have no perspective of what could happen if you go to the hospital," she said, reading from the message allegedly sent by Jonathan.
"They will ask you questions, and as I don’t think you actually protect us, it could lead to an investigation even if you do lie, and they suspect something.”
© Matt WinkelmeyerFriday was Grace's fourth and final day on the stand, and the messages were also given to the jury to read for themselves.
"I will tell the doctor I bumped my head,” Grace continued, reading her own alleged text messages before she began to cry, leaving Assistant District Attorney Kelli Galaway to take over: "I will tell the doctor I bumped my head if I go. I’m going to give it one more day, but I can’t sleep and I need some stronger pain killers. That’s all: why would I tell them what really happened when it’s clear I want to be with you?"
© Alexi RosenfeldAlthough the text messages do not relate to the incident that Jonathan has been charged for, they have been entered into the court as Molineux evidence, defined as: “conduct that is inextricably interwoven with the charged acts” and which may “provide necessary background information or explanation”.
“Last night I considered killing myself versus coming home,” the messages from Jonathan continued. "I need love too. Or maybe I’m such a monster and horrible man, I don't deserve it. And I should just kill myself. In this way, my existence is miserable, I want to die.”
“Jonathan, you can't say this I’m going to have to tell someone,” Grace responded.
© Matt WinkelmeyerJonathan – who most recently starred in Creed III with Michael B. Jordan and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania with Paul Rudd – was charged by the New York District Attorney in March 2023; his charges include three counts of assault in the third degree, aggravated harassment in the second degree, three counts of attempted assault in the third degree, and harassment in the second degree for an alleged fight that occurred on Saturday March 25.
According to a statement from the NYPD: "On Saturday, March 25, 2023 at approximately 1114 hours, police responded to a 911 call inside of an apartment located in the vicinity of West 22nd Street and 8th Avenue, within the confines of the 10 Precinct. A preliminary investigation determined that a 33-year-old male was involved in a domestic dispute with a 30-year-old female.
"The victim informed police she was assaulted. Officers placed the 33-year-old male into custody without incident. The victim sustained minor injuries to her head and neck and was removed to an area hospital in stable condition."
© AnadoluFollowing his arrest, Jonathan's criminal defense lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, maintained his innocence on the actor's behalf, and told People he is "completely innocent and is probably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows."
During cross-examination earlier this week, Ms Chaudhry asked Grace why she told emergency personnel the morning after the alleged attack in March 2023 that she did not remember how she had become injured.
“I was just scared of the consequences of it,” Grace answered. “I still wanted to protect him.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
