NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Throughout the implosion of his once-skyrocketing Hollywood career, from his arrest two years ago to his assault conviction, Jonathan Majors has maintained that he has never struck a woman.
But on Monday, amid a PR push that returned him to magazine covers ahead of Friday's release of 鈥淢agazine Dreams,鈥� Rolling Stone published an audio recording of Majors and Grace Jabbari. Majors was found guilty of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment violation for striking Jabbari in the head and breaking her middle finger.
鈥淚 aggressed you,鈥� Majors acknowledges in the recording, confirming her description of him strangling her and pushing her against a car and appearing to contradict his previous claims.
In a Wednesday interview with The Associated Press, Majors declined to address the recording, and whether he has assaulted women.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 answer that,鈥� Majors responded. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 speak to that.鈥�
Majors, who was sentenced to probation and has settled Jabbari's lawsuit, is striving for an unusually swift rebound following a precipitous downfall. Before his arrest, Majors was steering toward years of Marvel stardom and a possible Oscar nomination for 鈥淢agazine Dreams,鈥� in which he plays an aspiring bodybuilder prone to violent outbursts.
Two years later, Majors returns to the public eye with a pledge that he鈥檚 changed after completing a year of court-ordered domestic violence counseling. At the same time, he鈥檚 not directly addressing any of the allegations against him 鈥� including those from two previous partners, Emma Duncan and Maura Hooper, who in statements submitted pretrial, detailed physically violence and emotional abuse that bear similarities to the Jabbari case.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not something I can talk about legally,鈥� Majors says. 鈥淚 said to my wife the other day, I鈥檝e changed. I don鈥檛 recognize myself. I don鈥檛 recognize that guy. I鈥檓 in a completely different place.鈥�
Majors spoke reflectively about his experience of the past two years 鈥� with the exception of anything specifically related to the conviction, the additional abuse allegations or the women who say he harmed them. Despite never naming a misdeed, Majors says he is reformed.
鈥淚鈥檇 say to anyone who cares to listen: I鈥檝e had two years of deep thought and mediation and rumination on myself and my actions, my community, my industry,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 stronger now. I鈥檓 wiser now. I鈥檓 better now.鈥�
Not everyone is convinced. Hooper described a traumatizing and controlling relationship. After it ended, Majors shamed her for having an abortion, which he had encouraged, and told her to kill herself, her statement said.
鈥淭he level of anger that I experienced from this man, I don鈥檛 know you exorcise that from your life or your behavior in only 52 weeks,鈥� Hooper told the AP. 鈥淧eople go to therapy for years. I went to therapy for years after Jonathan Majors just to get my mind back.鈥�
Hooper and Duncan鈥檚 statements weren't allowed as evidence during the trial, but they remain public record. Majors' attorneys have denied some of their claims, describing both relationships as 鈥渢oxic.鈥�
Duncan, who was engaged to Majors, described at least eight physical or threatening encounters in her statement, including threats to kill her. (She didn鈥檛 respond to an email from the AP seeking comment. Attorneys for Jabbari also didn鈥檛 respond to emails.)
鈥淭here is a documented history of 10 years of abuse of women where he calls women 鈥榮luts,鈥� he calls us 鈥榝at whores,鈥� he tells us to kill ourselves,鈥� Hooper says. 鈥淲hen I hear people say, 鈥楥ome on, how come he can鈥檛 come back into the fold?鈥� I don鈥檛 know that those people have read this or understand that we鈥檙e talking about a pattern.鈥�
A changed political climate and several recent cases, including the overturning of Harvey Weinstein鈥檚 New York sexual assault conviction, have suggested Hollywood has entered a new chapter in the #MeToo movement. Majors鈥� attempted comeback is one of the most conspicuous tests to the fraying curbs of cancellation and #MeToo vindication.
鈥淲e鈥檙e suffering a period of tremendous political retrenchment and backlash in this movement,鈥� says Debra Katz, the civil rights attorney who has represented Weinstein accusers. 鈥淢uch of what we鈥檝e fought for seems to be on the line.鈥�
But women are still coming forward, and Katz believes the accused will be held accountable. For his part, Majors has no new films announced. 鈥淢agazine Dreams,鈥� filmed pre-arrest and dropped by Searchlight Pictures, is being released by indie distributor Briarcliff Entertainment.
鈥淛onathan made a mistake. There was due process. Justice was served. And then we move on, which I think is generally how we like to think this country operates,鈥� Briarcliff CEO Tom Ortenberg said Thursday.
Numerous A-listers have advocated for Majors鈥� Hollywood return. Still, Katz believes it will ultimately sputter because he hasn鈥檛 gone beyond 鈥済et a good PR firm and show my soft side.鈥�
For Majors, his self-examination has focused on an earlier experience he suggests was at the root of what he calls his turmoil. Majors says from 9 to about 13, he was the victim of sexual abuse from, he says, 鈥渢wo male family members and my sisters鈥� friends.鈥�
鈥淚t felt like kids being kids and then it became something different very quickly,鈥� Majors says. 鈥淎nd then it became a pattern.鈥�
Majors only recently began wrestling with it, he says, through therapy and conversations with his family. A phone call with his sister, he says, reawakened memories.
鈥淚t was an experience that I just killed in my head,鈥� Majors says, tearing up.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a boo-hoo-bro, so-sad-for-you situation,鈥� he says, wiping away tears. 鈥淚t鈥檚 life. It鈥檚 the hand you鈥檙e dealt, and I didn鈥檛 know how to play those cards. I鈥檓 learning how to play those cards.鈥�
Now, Majors says, he鈥檚 never been happier. On Tuesday, he and Meagan Good were wed in a small, impromptu ceremony in Los Angeles officiated by his mother. 鈥淢agazine Dreams,鈥� he thought, would never see the light of day. Now, he鈥檚 hopeful he can act again.
鈥淚 now understand that acting is in many ways my ministry. It鈥檚 in many ways my calling,鈥� Majors says. 鈥淚f it鈥檚 not, I鈥檓 waiting for someone to tell me it鈥檚 not. I鈥檓 waiting for God to tell me it鈥檚 not. He鈥檚 not said that.鈥�
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
