Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend took the stand for a second day Wednesday, telling jurors she initially felt the violent altercation that resulted in misdemeanor assault charges against the Marvel actor “was my fault,” and felt she should have lied to police to protect him.
The 30-year-old professional dancer from London, who said she was in a “serious,” two-year relationship with Majors before the incident ended things for good, testified Tuesday that months of escalating, volatile outbursts and controlling behavior led up to the March 25 fight on the streets of Chinatown in New York City.
She continued her testimony Wednesday before a jury of six men and six women, saying that in the immediate aftermath of their breakup, her first instinct was to protect the “Creed III” actor.
“I felt it was my fault,” Jabbari said, according to Business Insider. “I felt I should have lied and said nothing happened so he wouldn’t be in trouble.”
Jabbari testified Wednesday that Majors was in a bad mood that night because she had told his manager about his temper, and he was concerned the information would leak and damage his skyrocketing career.
According to the police report, after the two fought both inside and outside their chauffered Cadillac Escalade, he checked into a hotel while she went out partying with three strangers she’d met on the street. The following morning, Majors found Jabbari in a closet of his Chelsea apartment – and called police out of concern for her well-being.
She said she woke up in pain and with police and emergency medical technicians asking her questions – and was “at war with herself” about what to tell them.
“I was really scared, but I needed someone to get me out,” she said. “I always took him back. I was really scared, but I just needed to get out … I was worried about what would happen because Jonathan had told me about what they could do to him as a Black man.”
She said she was taken to a hospital that morning out of concern that she might harm herself, and later told police that her injuries were from a fight with Majors, which led to his eventual arrest.
“They had told me that they had arrested him and I felt really upset,” Jabbari said Wednesday, adding that prosecutors initially accused him of trying to strangle her, but she insisted that charge be dropped.
“I was trying to fix the thing as much as possible. I told them that it was my fault, that I grabbed [his] phone,” she said.
Prosecutors opened the trial seeking to paint Majors as a serial abuser and manipulator, while his defense attorney said Jabbari lost control and attacked him the night she discovered that he had been unfaithful.
Majors faces up to a year in jail if convicted on four counts including misdemeanor assault, aggravated harassment and harassment. The trial could last up to two weeks.
