Jonathan Majors’ ex-girlfriend was arrested Wednesday in connection with the March domestic dispute that led to assault charges against the actor, the New York Police Department said. But the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has stated that it has no plans to prosecute her.
Grace Jabbari, a 30-year-old dancer with several film credits, was taken into custody at Manhattan’s 10th Precinct on charges of assault and criminal mischief in relation to the March incident, her attorney, Ross Kramer, confirmed to HuffPost. Majors was arrested in the aftermath of that encounter and has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of assault and harassment.
According to prosecutors, Majors and Jabbari were in the back of a car on the night of March 25 when Jabbari allegedly caught Majors receiving a romantic message from another woman.
Jabbari then took Majors’ phone and was injured after the actor grabbed her, twisted her right forearm and struck her in the ear to retrieve his phone, prosecutors alleged. They added that Majors also picked up Jabbari and threw her back into the car after she got out.
Majors is scheduled to face trial in November on charges of intentional assault, reckless assault and aggravated harassment. Priya Chaudhry, a lawyer for Majors, has vehemently argued that the Marvel star is innocent and that Jabbari was the aggressor. Chaudhry declined to comment to HuffPost on Thursday.
In a 115-page filing released this week, prosecutors said they had no intentions of prosecuting Jabbari over the incident.
“On September 8, 2023, and September 12, 2023, the prosecution informed the NYPD that the People would decline to prosecute any charges brought by the NYPD against Ms. Jabbari related to the belated allegations made by defendant,” they said.
In a statement, Kramer said prosecutors again confirmed this to him before she surrendered to police Wednesday. He added that the case against Jabbari lacked “prosecutorial merit” and is now closed.
“Before we walked into the police precinct, the DA’s Office made clear that they would not be charging Ms. Jabbari with any offense,” he wrote.
Kramer — who is also the director of the Incarcerated Gender Violence Survivors Initiative, which aims to assist domestic violence survivors in the criminal justice system — said he and his client were disappointed to see survivors treated like perpetrators.
“It was unfortunate and re-traumatizing that a survivor of intimate partner violence was forced to endure an arrest, but Ms. Jabbari is an extremely strong and resilient person who is determined to move forward,” Kramer said.
“We are grateful that the Manhattan DA’s Office acted quickly to end this matter. Now Grace can move forward without having to carry the weight of baseless accusations against her.”
Dustin Pusch, a civil attorney for Majors, criticized the DA’s office for saying it wouldn’t prosecute Jabbari, claiming that the NYPD determined probable cause after a “thorough and lengthy investigation.”
“Instead of acting on the findings from law enforcement, the District Attorney’s office unilaterally and without explanation has decided not to prosecute Ms. Jabbari for her misdeeds and the documented injuries she caused Mr. Majors,” Pusch told HuffPost.
He said that the DA continuing to move forward with Majors’ criminal case amounted to a “serious injustice.”
“These recent revelations raise grave questions about the impartiality and transparency of the prosecutors’ discretion, due process, and equal protection under the law,” Pusch said.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Call 1-866-331-9474 or text “loveis” to 22522 for the National Dating Abuse Helpline.