Jonathan Majors Trial: Defense Rests Case, Judge Releases 911 Call

Caitlin Huston
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New York Criminal Court Judge Michael Gaffey, who is presiding over the Jonathan Majors trial, approved the release of several pieces of evidence to the media Wednesday, and defense rested its case for the actor after one day of testimony.

Closing arguments are expected to begin Thursday, then the jury will begin deliberations. Majors faces four charges of misdemeanor assault, aggravated harassment and harassment after police responded to the 911 call on March 25. The Marvel actor has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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The evidence released Wednesday, all of which was used by prosecutors during the course of the trial, includes photos taken by Grace Jabbari, Majors’ ex-partner, of dark bruising on her finger and a cut behind her ear after the incident; the 911 call made by Majors after the actor found Jabbari in their apartment and said he found her “unconscious”; body-cam footage of police officers entering the apartment and footage of Jabbari and Majors on the street outside their private car, including video of Majors “throwing” or “placing” Jabbari back into the car, as had been argued respectively by the prosecution and the defense team.

The evidence also includes footage of Jabbari chasing Majors down the street after the car had pulled over, which Jabbari said in her earlier testimony was to get answers about who he was texting. Released audio also includes a recording Jabbari said she made of Majors during an unrelated argument in September 2022, in which the actor admonished Jabbari for drinking and told her to be more like Coretta Scott King and Michelle Obama. “My temper, my shit … all that said, I’m a great man. A great man. I am doing great things, not just for me but for my culture, and for the world,” he said.

All of this had previously been shown to the six-person jury and discussed in testimony, but had not been released publicly.

Prosecutors have said the March 25 incident began after midnight, when Majors and Jabbari were in the car on their way home from dinner in Brooklyn and she observed a text message on Majors’ phone stating, “Oh how I wish to be kissing you.” Jabbari said she grabbed the phone and Majors pried her finger from the phone, grabbed her arm and right hand, twisted her forearm and then struck her right ear.

Majors’ defense team has alleged that Jabbari was the aggressor in the car, pointing to a torn button on Majors’ coat, and alleges that she was unharmed by him, pointing to the fact that she went dancing at a club after the alleged incident and suggesting the injuries could have been sustained there or at the apartment afterward. Jabbari has said she went to the club at the invitation of passersby on the street, whom she had asked for help, and then sought comfort from after the alleged incident.

After the incident in the car, Majors stayed at a hotel, then returned to his shared apartment with Jabbari the next morning. Majors then called 911 and said it was “attempted suicide, I think,” according to the recording released Wednesday, and said “she’s unconscious.” When asked on the recording what exactly had happened, he said, “I don’t know.”

“She’s my ex-partner. We broke up. I came back. She sent me text messages insinuating as much. I stayed in a hotel last night. I came home this morning. I banged on the door. I’ve been at the apartment for about 20 minutes now. I banged on the door. I couldn’t get in. I finally went downstairs and asked the doorman to help us. And they let me in via the handyman,” Majors said.

After giving the 911 operator identifying details about Jabbari, the actor asked what he should do while waiting for the first responders. When asked whether he knew if she had hit her head or fallen, Majors said, “No. I think I see a cut behind her ear.”

In her testimony on the stand, Jabbari said she had returned to the apartment she shared with Majors in the early morning and exchanged texts with him, as he ended the relationship. She said she had been unable to sleep because of the pain from her injuries, took two sleeping pills and later became ill in the bathroom, where she remained for hours.

She awoke to police standing around her, and said she later learned they came because Majors had returned home and called 911. She denied any instance of self-harm. Jabbari was taken to the hospital, where she was evaluated for her injuries and evaluated by a psychologist, because of the self-harm allegation.

In testimony Wednesday, Elan Ruspoli, Majors’ agent from WME, briefly took the stand and testified that he spoke with Majors the morning of March 25 and that the actor sounded “beyond concerned,” “distraught” and “worried.” Other witnesses called by the defense included an emergency room physician, who did not treat Jabbari but testified to the nature of her injuries, saying for example, that she did not see “evidence of a strong blow to the ear” while looking at photos of the injuries, as well as Det. Ronnie Mejia, who arrested Jabbari in October.

Majors did not testify in his defense, but as the judge told jurors, he was not required to and that should not be used against him.

Majors has appeared in court every day alongside his current partner, Meagan Good, and family members. Prosecution rested its case Wednesday, after opening statements began Dec. 4, and the defense team, led by attorneys Priya Chaudhry and Seth Zuckerman, began calling witnesses.

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