The Guardian (USA)

Jonathan Majors accused of physical and emotional abuse by two more women

- Benjamin Lee

Actor Jonathan Majors has been accused of physical and emotional abuse by two more women.

In a New York Times report, two exgirlfrie­nds of the Creed III and Marvel actor have spoken out against alleged behaviour as the 34-year-old awaits sentencing for assaulting and harassing another former partner. Their testimonie­s were also used as pre-trial statements.

Emma Duncan was engaged to Majors between 2015 and 2019 and alleges that she once found messages between him and another woman when she visited him on the set of the western Hostiles. After she started packing her things, she claims he pushed her on to a couch and choked her. Majors then said “I’m going to kill you” before throwing her across the room and adding: “I’m going to make sure you can’t have children.”

Duncan claims that on another occasion Majors picked her up and slammed her against a mailbox after an argument, which led to bruising. A year later, she claims, he threw her to the ground.

She claims that her account of their relationsh­ip is “well documented”, adding: “I stand by the events described.”

Before they were together, Majors dated Maura Hooper, who also shared her testimony of his alleged emotional abuse. She claims he was controllin­g and refused to let her “speak to anyone about their relationsh­ip, isolating her from a support system” and after she became pregnant early on, she had an abortion.

During an argument when she confronted him over alleged infidelity, he threatened to kill himself (Duncan also attests that he made frequent suicide threats). A year after they broke up and Majors found out she was dating someone he knew, he allegedly called her a whore and said: “I hope you die; kill yourself” and “I’m going to rip you out of my heart the way they ripped our baby out of you.”

The actor’s lawyer Priya Chaudhry has denied all accusation­s of physical abuse but has called both relationsh­ips “toxic” and that her client was taking responsibi­lity for his role in them. She added that her client “regrets saying hurtful things”.

Majors has also been accused of improper behaviour on the set of the HBO drama Lovecraft Country. His coworkers on the show have claimed that Majors was difficult with the women he worked alongside. He has been accused of threatenin­g behaviour and making derogatory racial remarks, and after three women made a complaint to HBO he was forced to make an apology, calling it all a misunderst­anding.

Chaudhry claims that he has “never been told that anyone objected to his behavior”.

In December 2023, Majors was found guilty of twomisdeme­anour charges of assault and harassment against a former girlfriend. His lawyer claimed that Majors “still has faith in the process and looks forward to fully clearing his name”. That same day he was dropped by Marvel. He had been playing the character of Kang in bigand small-screen projects.

In a televised interview in January, Majors denied ever hitting a woman and said he planned to appeal. This week his sentencing was postponed after his lawyer filed a motion to delay. It will now take place in April.

• In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counsellin­g service is on 1800 737 732. Other internatio­nal helplines may be found via www.befriender­s.org.

 ?? Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP ?? Jonathan Majors in 2023.
Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP Jonathan Majors in 2023.

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