In March, Jonathan Majors was arrested for domestic violence against his then-girlfriend. Once he was arrested, the whisper network got a lot louder – there were stories about how Majors was seriously abusive to multiple girlfriends and coworkers. To make matters a lot worse, Majors’ lawyer released the texts between Majors and his victim, texts which the lawyer claimed would exonerate him… and the texts revealed that his victim had been brutalized by him and she was terrified of him. He lost his management team, his agent, he’s been dropped from several projects too. This week, people tried to make it sound like the case against him was falling apart, but he’s still set to go on trial on August 3rd in New York. Majors’ people also want it to be known that his victim is being investigated for hitting him too. Considering he reportedly strangled her to the point where she lost consciousness, I hope no one is buying the “they are BOTH abusers” line popularized by male abusers. Meanwhile, Rolling Stone published their three month investigation into Majors and his abusive past. This is all just sickening.
During this three-month investigation, Rolling Stone spoke with more than 40 people who have known Majors during his time in graduate school, his Hollywood career, and his romantic relationships. Many describe Majors as being a complicated, unpredictable, and sometimes violent man, who can switch from charming to cold in a flash. (All of the sources for this article requested anonymity, citing fear of career repercussions and personal retribution from Majors. Some claim they were prohibited from speaking. “My only response can be that I am silenced by an NDA he had me sign,” says one person who worked with Majors.)
Their stories suggest a pattern of alleged physical, mental, and emotional abuse that dates back a decade to Majors’ time at Yale’s David Geffen School of Drama — where he was involved in physical altercations — and continued to the sets of his movies and TV shows, where production members raised concerns over his treatment of crew.
“Jonathan Majors vehemently denies Rolling Stone’s false allegations that he physically, verbally, or emotionally abused anyone, let alone any of his past romantic partners,” Majors’ attorney, Dustin A. Pusch, wrote in a statement. “These allegations are based entirely on hearsay because neither of the romantic partners referenced were willing to engage with Rolling Stone for the article—demonstrating their outright falsity.” Pusch added that Majors “also denies any allegations of abuse, violence, or intimidation during his time at Yale.”
Most seriously, more than a dozen sources collectively claim to Rolling Stone that Majors allegedly abused two romantic partners — one physically, both of them emotionally. “It was pervasively known that he was [a good actor], and that he also would terrorize the people that he had dated,” one of those sources says.
Majors allegedly strangled one woman he was dating, and was mentally and emotionally abusive with her, nine of those sources claim. The second woman allegedly told friends that her relationship with Majors was “emotional torture.” Those who are friends with the women or were present during their relationships with Majors independently corroborated details of the alleged abuse. Throughout conversations with Rolling Stone, they describe feeling alarmed by what they witnessed at the time or what they were told by the women.
Rolling Stone is withholding the names of the women and the specifics of their relationships, as several sources voiced fear that Majors and his team would retaliate against the women.
“My experience in dealing with him and watching him in relationships with several women [is] really upsetting,” says one person familiar with at least two of Majors’ relationships. “As an outside observer, it made me uncomfortable.”
Majors was aggressive at work, as well, according to sources. Most recently, on the set of the upcoming film Magazine Dreams, two production members claim the 33-year-old actor pushed one person while on set and physically intimidated another while screaming at them, leading to a complaint to producers. The sources say executive producers warned them to give Majors his space. (A production source with knowledge of the situation claims to Rolling Stone that producers were only aware of one complaint that was made toward the end of filming, and disputed the person was physically intimidated.)
Yeah… I need Meghan Good’s family and friends to get her the hell away from Jonathan Majors. I don’t care if it’s solely a PR relationship to rehabilitate his image, that’s completely over now, as is his career. This was the sense I got once he was arrested too – that it was just a matter of time, that he had left a string of victims behind in his wake, that Jonathan Majors is a serial abuser. Some of those victims have apparently been speaking to the DA’s office in charge of Majors’ case too.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
I don’t understand what Meagan Good is doing with this dude. She should run away screaming from him.
Wasn’t Meagan married to a pastor?
Growing up a good Catholic (still recovering), girls and women are taught in Christian religions to defer to men.
When my sister became pregnant by her very Christian boyfriend (out of wedlock, of course), she proudly explained, in front of her boyfriend, that the Bible says that the man is the God of the home, and that he knows what to do, and that her duty was to “follow” him. I pulled her aside and told her that I loved her very much, but that we could never discuss religion again. Ever. I wanted to throw up. They later married after he was pressured to by his family.
Meagan ain’t going’ nowhere!
Meg is trying to stay relevant via this PR relationship. She dosent seem to have good judgement cause Jonathan is a sinking abusive crazy ship she needs to exist with haste.
There are a lot of people out there who have internalized the idea, consciously or not, that victims bring the abuse on themselves somehow. They’re always convinced they’ll be the one it won’t happen to.
Dead eyes. He’s got eyes that look vacant. As a younger woman I stayed away from men with these types of eyes. It’s hard to describe but I know it when I see it.
Those kind of people absolutely terrify me. The only thing to do is to avoid them like the plague. Even warning others about them is tricky because they’re so charismatic that you’re likely not to be believed.
Agreed on the eyes.
His eyes have always bothered me. I know a lot of people/women were drooling over him before all this came to light. I don’t find him attractive – I thought he was a good actor but his eyes in photos always bothered me.
I can never decide if those eyes are “dead eyes” or “sociopath eyes” I think of Trump as classic “sociopath eyes”. Either way, if I see someone with that “look” – hard to describe, but you just know it – I cross the street to the other side.
They’re dead eyes, or shark eyes. My ex has shark eyes, which should have been a warning to me 😬
Has anyone in Hollywood come out in support of him? I can’t think of any. That is very telling in and of itself.
Anthony mackie did somewhat (the innocent until proven guilty routine) on the same day this story broke.
Telling on himself.
So his lawyer’s response is that since no one can go on record with Rolling Stone bc of the NDA they made everyone sign means he is innocent?
Sure, Jan.
I’m really surprised his lawyer hasn’t quit that bitch too.
It’s sickening. I knew more would come out. That many people, from different phases of his life having the exact same story….when will Marvel step up and get rid of him too?
That lawyer has his work cut out for him like DAMN, this dude is messy. And of course the women don’t want to go on record!! They’re scared sh*tless of this guy.
Every woman in a position to speak out now nows she may becomes Amber Heard.
Wait… he’s still under contract to Marvel? I thought they dropped him. What exactly are they waiting for?
Apparently he’s a major character in the next season of Loki, which was pushed back to the fall. It’ll be after the trial (shift announced before trial date). I’m wondering if there’s re-editing going on or if they are waiting for the outcome of the trial.
That last episode of all him talking was added when they had to rewrite the season to focus the main cast and film on sets because of filming during COVID before the vaccines. Threw the show off. Also curious that the female director was let go, despite the show getting rave reviews.
Marvel couldn’t even stand up for Brie Larson and have left it to Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle to support her. They’re not going to do a damn thing as long as he makes them money.
True…but I’m not so sure he’s made them any money? He showed up in one episode of Loki and…talked a lot. And then showed up to lose a fist fight to Ant Man and the Wasp in Quantumania (a movie that was negatively reviewed and a box office disappointment). A poor introduction on all accounts, before any of this was known. He wouldn’t be missed. 🤷♀️
Not that it makes any difference but I refuse to watch another Marvel film or TV series until they drop him.
It’s crazy too cause between the variants thing and the multiverse they could easily use another actor for the role and no one would blink an eye. It’s not like he’s RDJ six movies in and firmly established as the character. They need to drop him and recast the role.
Marvel spent almost ten years leading up to super villian Thanos. Advance multi-year planning has Majors as the ultimate bad guy, and again they will spend several years making movies that will lead up to Major’s Thanos-like villian.
Sounds like typecasting, then.
I believe even folks who have signed an NDA are permitted to talk to investigators if it’s related to a crime or concealment of. Sounds like the tide is firmly against him, and those who know him WILL be participating in an investigation. Just a matter of time. He’ll get his comeuppance.
Which is, of course, bittersweet. I wish the same justice was leveled at all the powerful white men who regularly get away with abusive shit — see: Armie Hammer, Mel Gibson, Prince Andrew, etc.
Regarding Marvel sticking with Majors: How long did it take DC to deal with Ezra Miller?
But did they REALLY deal with EM or was the timing of it beneficial to the image of them dealing with him?
Sure his movie was a flop. But they’ve cut loose everyone from that era of DCEU: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot.
Marvel may have Jonathan Majors under contract in case Loki needs reshoots/etc after the writer’s strike is resolved.
“These allegations are based entirely on hearsay because neither of the romantic partners referenced were willing to engage with Rolling Stone for the article—demonstrating their outright falsity.”
Or — and hear me out here! — it simply demonstrates that they’re STILL FUCKING TERRIFIED. FFS.
Or demonstrating that they don’t want to say anything in the press and will save it for the investigation. Or demonstrating any number of other things.
I really hope that your reasoning is the correct one. Not that I think they should be forced, or even feel obligated, to share their experiences with investigators or to testify, because I know the situation is complex and different people will heal and overcome in different ways. I just don’t want him to still have any power over the survivors anymore, because people like him absolutely get off on intimidating others.
#metoo destroying the lives of men huh when men like this can still work!
Good on Rolling Stone for reporting on this too
Back in March, there was a long thread on Twitter posted by someone who had friends in JM’s Yale class, to which theater people from NYC added their anecdotes.
Some things sounded too horrible to be true. Other incidents were dismissed, because they were shared by white people.
In hindsight, after reading this RS article, I believe every single thing that was shared. The pattern, DV and being condescending and mentally abusive to on-set BTS workers, is the same.
It’s rage-inducing that people like JM are not stopped a lot earlier, and that friends and co-workers get hurt unnecessarily because people look the other way, the excuse being *talent*.
All the image rehab in the world can’t save this guy’s career at this point. Send him to the Cayman Islands with Armie Hammer.
WE DON’T WANT EITHER OF THEM THANK YOU!!!
LOL ok sorry. Send them straight to the fiery pits of hell. No return flight.
He’s gotten away with horrific things for a very long time. That shows how far we still have to go. And, apparently, many, many people knew about it. Just sickening. And there are still lawyers (not court appointed) willing to represent him. And lie for him.
If the things related in this article are true (and let me be clear, I believe them to be) then JM is a terrible, terrible abuser and deserves criminal punishment for his actions. HOWEVER, when people state that someone accused of a crime is not entitled to representation (which is what you are saying when you smear criminal defense attorneys who represent clients who appear guilty) then you are stating that you don’t believe in democracy or the rule of law.
EVERY defendant deserves a zealous defense, and the attorneys willing to do that work are upholding democracy in doing so. They are holding the state to the standard of proof “beyond a reasonable doubt.” They are ensuring that law enforcement and the prosecution follow the laws that the state writes. They are what stands between all of us and a police state.
JM is a trash person, but his attorney is doing his job. Public defenders (most of whom are brilliant attorneys who have chosen service to the public over personal wealth) are intended to help the indigent. JM does not need a public defender.
Hey Marvel! Remember The Flash movie? Well you remember it’s box office I assume? Or lack thereof. Just a thought. 😒
Do they seriously still think we can enjoy a light-hearted comic book movie romp with this guy? Ugh. Cut ties due to “creative differences” or whatever and start vetting the actors you put in these “family” films WAY better. Maybe it wasn’t how studios used to do things, but clearly they need to now.
I’m still pissed they didn’t drop Leticia Wright and her anti-science nonsense, now avoid the stand-alone Iron Man movies like the plague thanks to learning about Downey’s caping for Mel Gibson, and passed on Black Widow (along with anything Scarlett Johansson does with her I’d-work-with-Woody-Allen-again-anytime bull.) Anything with this dude in it is an automatic pass.
This might not seem like nothing, but as a comics nerd since childhood it’s actually painful for me at times. These entitled asses are ruining something that got me through my abusive childhood (somewhat) intact.
Textbook abuser behavior.
Cringing that Mackie came out swinging for this guy yesterday.
No pun intended? 😉
And let’s hold up. As someone in a family relationship with an abusive sociopath, I am strongly against going after people who defend them. Listen: They. Do. Not. Know. The power of a sociopath is their charm; people outside in the inner circle simply cannot fathom that someone so awesome would do such awful things. It is more plausible that a smattering of others are crazy/vindictive/addicted, etc.
I know it sucks, and I know it’s unfair, but if we’re going to make any headway on this issue, we have to recognize this reality. Don’t level any blame at the men AND women who advocate for them.
This is spot on, Squid.
My brother is a narcissist and a psychopath but most people in the public think he’s “so great” and “aww, he’s so sweet”. My ex-boyfriend was the same and everyone acted like I was crazy for breaking up with him.
People like him, my ex, Majors, and many others are con artists. They manipulate, manipulate, manipulate.
Mackie coming out and saying anything even remotely supportive is because he doesn’t actually know the person Majors is. He knows what Majors wants him to know. And when the truth comes out it will hit Mackie right in the heart and that makes me sad because he doesn’t deserve that.
Nope. Just cause you have a family relationship with a psycho does not leave you off the hook for supporting them. Ignorance is not a defense & the Camilla Cosby’s of the world are just as evil as their men. Helping someone abuse another person is abusing that person, so let’s not deflect blame & instead keep educating.
@Mallory. I think you misread something. Both Squid and I are saying people *outside* of a sociopath’s inner circle (usually family) don’t know how awful that person is. So when someone *outside* of a sociopath’s inner circle says something positive about them it’s due to ignorance not true allegiance.
Yes, Squiddismaximus, abusers work hard to make sure that they have public allies to give them the benefit of the doubt.
My ex was a narcissistic sociopath with friends and relatives high in the Catholic Church, legal circles, and law enforcement. No one believed me until my kid got a brain injury at his hands. Even then he had supporters. More people believed me after he was arrested for international wire fraud. And his stepdad, a judge, was still trying to get me to convince our kid to see her abusive father. When he understood that another judge had granted us a permanent DVRO and that he is now a vexatious litigant because he kept filing frivolous lawsuit against me to drain my income, he and many others finally came around to the idea that he was a dangerous man willing to strangle his own 12 year-old daughter. He had never physically attacked me, and I had no bruises to show to anybody, so no one believed me until he attacked out daughter and defrauded some overseas promoters.
RE: Camilla Cosby
Eh. I’m not sure sweeping generalizations are really helpful when it comes to domestic violence. There are a lot of variables in these scenarios and they should probably be assessed on a case-by-case basis. We know that there are a wide variety of reasons why a woman would be ignorant to the abuse. deny the abuse, or even endure the abuse. When women have a history of being abused, had abuse modeled to them while growing up, or even lack the support and resources needed to leave an abuser they might just turn a blind eye to it. In the end, that might make them complicit on some level but it doesn’t make them the same as the abuser.
I also agree that outside of the inner circle, sociopaths can be incredible con artists. It’s easy to see how people would struggle to believe that someone so charismatic could be so evil. That’s why believing victims is so important.
Mall – I think you misunderstood me. I’m speaking as someone with a close family member who was a dangerous, abusive sociopath, and I saw how difficult it was for those on the outside to come to terms with what we eventually told them. I do not blame them at all for their disbelief — they also had a relationship with him, and at no time ever did they witness his psychosis or terror.
Phylicia Rashad and Camilla Cosby are uniques case because there is a mountain of evidence against Bill Cosby. But for those who just haven’t witnessed ANY bad behavior from a person they (think) they love… we can’t expect them to immediate recognize that new reality.
Christina and Betty — I am so fucking sorry for what you both went through, and I get it 100%. The fight you wage with them is just as exhausting as the fight to be believed, when they have already won the public narrative.
Christina, my heart goes out to you and your daughter. I hope she’s doing ok. Support groups for children of narcissists really do help. There is so much reprogramming to do.
I think if Mackie didn’t know, he shouldn’t get into it and shouldn’t have said anything; “innocent until proven guilty” assumes (among other things) that we have a fair and impartial justice system, which we clearly do not (it is highly biased toward protecting men and especially white men). There was not a need for him to step in to defend an abuser if he is just a coworker with no actual knowledge of the situation.
I’ll say in my limited experience, coworkers often do know there’s an issue and repress it because there is a troubling default to “protect the man” regardless of knowledge or evidence.
At my workplace there was rampant sexual harassment and it was an open secret, but everyone pretended not to know or just ignored it because they didn’t want retaliation. It became quite disturbing. When I would tell admin, and ask for help, they would say I must be lying.
It also reminds me of the comment on “Mapping the Margins” about not wanting to expose Black men to police brutality, so women felt they could not report violence out of fear of more violence. It’s a delicate situation. It’s hard to blame any of these people involved (except obv Majors and his awful lawyer) but I just wish the default was not “defend the man!”
@JP While I’m extremely happy that Mackie is going to be the next Captain America, he’s been problematic on his own. It doesn’t surprise me that he came out swinging for this guy.
The whole article sounds like hearsay from anonymous sources. An article written like this intending to destroy a man’s career based on one or two questionable incidents from “sources” who remain anonymous is sickening.
No, what’s sickening is people like you defending a man who is under investigation for attacking his girlfriend. Rolling Stone would not spend three months investigating if it was just hearsay, and if you had been unlucky enough to have dealings with a psychopath you would understand why these people are terrified of Majors and are staying anonymous.
I knew the deniers, gaslighters and misogynists would show up. Watch JM’s team follow the Depp method…disgusting.
No. When 40 people come out to tell the world that you’re an abusive POS, that’s not hearsay. That’s a pile of evidence.
Even when women do come forward, they are slut-shamed and victim-blamed. Even if everyone was out publicly and on the record, the patriarchy would take care of its own.
This is why I never reported my rape. I knew I would be told I had no evidence and was just an angry girlfriend. It would just be “he said / she said.” I can’t tell you how horribly destructive that mindset of automatically disbelieving women and automatically protecting abusive men is for our society. It is the mindset that elected Trump and let Kavanaugh slide through, despite the VERY concerning reports about their behavior toward women. We just as a society are not at the point where we care in the least about women or believe what they say. It’s so disgusting.
I am so sorry, Elizabeth. And you are correct: most police officers see you as like their girlfriend when you report a DV crime, especially rape. Many officers are conservative, and many conservative men view women as obligated to pleasure their men. Hoping that you have had therapy and support from your circle.
My atty made me report my ex’s physical assault of our child’s to the police. Feeling like you, I avoided going for two weeks. I’d dealt with the department for years reporting what he did. By the time he attacked our daughter I had a 5-year restraining order. I worked up the courage to go, and the cop put me in a room, just me and him. I calmly explained what happens to my daughter and told him that I had a restraining order. The officer treated me with disdain and said it looked “janky”. I didn’t cry, but I wanted to. I calmly explain that the DVRO would be in the system if he looked it up. He left to look it up. When he returned, he apologized. I explained that I knew that I would be treated EXACTLY as he treated me.
@squid, thank you!!! She is in her early 20s now, and she is doing really well. He took STEM from her, but she is an artist now. I’m so sorry that your family member has hurt your family. It’s heartbreaking to watch others hurt and to have no one believe you when you know someone is dangerous.
Hugs to both of you.
Why should they give their names?? So they can be harassed, threatened and called liars?? And then sued for defamation and their entire careers ruined like JD did to AH?? Or like what Manson is doing to Evan Rachel Wood?? To the point where she had to give up physical custody of her child to keep him safe?? Give me a break.
“The whole article sounds like…”
“a three-month investigation,” during which “Rolling Stone spoke with more than 40 people who have known Majors during his time in graduate school, his Hollywood career, and his romantic relationships. Many describe Majors as being a complicated, unpredictable, and sometimes violent man, who can switch from charming to cold in a flash.”
“(All of the sources for this article requested anonymity, citing fear of career repercussions and personal retribution from Majors. Some claim they were prohibited from speaking. “My only response can be that I am silenced by an NDA he had me sign,” says one person who worked with Majors.)”
So Rolling Stone actually conversed with more than 40 people, AND attempted to converse with more people who had been prohibited from speaking, even to the point of signing an NDA at Majors’ behest.
“Anonymous sources” – Yes. ALL 40+ people requested anonymity due to fear of Majors.
“Hearsay” – No. Investigation covered people who had first-hand knowledge of Majors in personal relationships, at school and at work. I suppose you could still call it hearsay as long as you stick your fingers in your ears and say “Na na na na na na.”
Eh, until RS do similar “investigations” of white male “alleged” abusers, I’m going to give the hatchet job itself a side-eye. Do I believe JM’s accuser(s)? Yes. Do I believe the victims of the white male alleged abusers? Also yes.
But we all know why RS hasn’t launched similar “investigations” into alleged/rumoured abusive assholes who happen to be white, don’t we?
Well, they had a pretty in depth investigation into Marilyn Manson, so that’s not totally fair. But I agree the issue of race means we should be treading very carefully here.
I take it then you didn’t read Rolling Stones absolutely horrifying exclusive story on the allegations of abuse against Chris D’Elia? Last month? Or them being one of the first to delve deep on Marilyn Manson and his alleged abuses and crimes?
Those two are just off the top of my head. “Whataboutism” is not the defence people think it is. Especially when there is a VERIFIABLE history of Rolling Stone’s coverage.
Sometimes it’s not where there’s smoke there’s fire…sometimes the fire is just right there.
“Hatchet job” implies you don’t believe the accusers so I’m not sure what you’re saying here
Just wow. Why don’t white dudes just as despicable as Majors is get this kind of prompt investigation shut-down?
It’s always a giveaway when the abuser yells about the victim abusing back. I would argue abuse inevitability mutual at some point in most DV cases. Even a beaten dog will occasionally bite back. The importance is in recognizing which is one the more abusive partner that’s instigating that toxicity, even as we don’t downplay the reality of that violence from each side. Expecting victims to be perfect and never fight back or lash out is insanely unfair and dangerous. It’s why you have women in jail for shooting the men who wanted to kill them.
A lot of times when it comes to famous black men, I wonder how often they got away with it for so long because they hid behind black female racial pain. Society really puts black women in an impossibly shitty position sometimes where they both have to fight for themselves while also having to defend against a society that wants to use their problems as shorthand for justified racial discrimination. I don’t think it’s surprising some of them hesitate to come forward or talk about it openly. It’s one of those uniquely ugly scenarios to misogynoir that I don’t think gets talked about enough.
Having read the article? Dude deserves every bit of career destruction and shunning coming at him. 1 is an accusation, 2 is a coincidence, 3 is a pattern. 40 is the foundation of the DSM5.
That being said: the 95% of Decent Black Men who love the women in their lives and would never even consider raising a hand to anyone need to decline the performative-it’s-racism defender role they get cast into every time a lawyer for a Shitty Black Man uses the race dog whistle. Men like Majors are making those black men’s lives harder because they get hauled into defending their BS out of some sense misplaced solidarity.
Black women need a CTJ too: they aren’t helping sons or brothers or husbands in the future by becoming an accused abuser’s human shield. These abusers get off on the mental manipulation they use to put others into defending them and wouldn’t lift a fingernail if the shoe was ever on the other foot because it doesn’t do anything for them.