Jonathan Majors sued by ex-girlfriend he was convicted of assaulting

Grace Jabbari, the ex-girlfriend of Jonathan Majors, whom he was convicted of assaulting in a trial last year, has sued the actor for defamation and other alleged injuries, according to the civil complaint.

Majors was found guilty of one count of misdemeanor third-degree assault and one count of second-degree harassment in connection with a March 2023 altercation with his then-girlfriend, Jabbari, in a for-hire SUV in New York City. He was acquitted of two other counts of assault and aggravated harassment in a split verdict.

Jabbari is seeking damages for physical injuries she said she suffered as a result of the incident. She also claimed Majors committed "intentional infliction of emotional distress" against her, according to the civil complaint.

The complaint further alleges Majors "made knowingly false statements" about Jabbari during an interview with ABC News in January, his first following his conviction, in which he said he did not hit her in the vehicle or cause any injuries.

"Put bluntly, Majors's defense to Grace's descriptions of the numerous acts of violence Majors perpetrated against her was to brazenly defame her and label her a liar on all claims," the complaint stated. "Defendant intended his false and defamatory statements to be broadcast around the world."

The complaint also alleges malicious prosecution by Majors after he filed a complaint against Jabbari alleging he was the one assaulted in the altercation. Jabbari was arrested in October 2023 in New York on multiple charges, though the Manhattan district attorney's office subsequently said it decided not to prosecute her because the case "lacks prosecutorial merit."

"It takes true bravery to hold someone with this level of power and acclaim accountable. Bravery that Grace Jabbari has demonstrated at every stage of the legal process," Jabbari's attorney, Brittany Henderson, said in a statement to ABC News. "We strongly believe that through this action, truth and transparency will bring Grace the justice that she deserves."

The complaint was filed Tuesday in the Southern District of New York.

In response, Majors' attorney, Priya Chaudhry, said in a statement to ABC News: "This is no surprise."

"Mr. Majors is preparing counterclaims against Ms. Jabbari," she added.

Majors' sentencing in the domestic violence case was postponed to April 8, after his attorneys filed a motion in February to set aside his conviction. He faces up to a year in prison on the two counts.

The altercation began in the SUV, after Jabbari saw a text message from another woman on Majors' phone, according to testimony from the trial. Jabbari testified that she tried to grab his phone after seeing a message pop up saying, "I wish I was kissing you."

She described in court Majors pulling her right hand behind her back while holding the phone in her left.

"It just felt like he was twisting my arm and my hand and trying to make me feel pain," she said in court.

Prosecutors said Jabbari fractured her finger and showed jurors photos taken by police of her injuries, including a cut to her ear and a bruised and swollen finger.

Majors declined to testify in his defense during the trial. In his interview with ABC News Live's Linsey Davis in January, he said he was "shocked and afraid" upon hearing the verdict and denied twisting her arm and causing those injuries.

"She went to grab the phone. I held the phone. I pulled the phone back. She came on top of me, squeezed my face, slapped me. That's all I remember," he told Davis.

Majors played the role of Kang in several Marvel films and TV shows, including the Disney+ series "Loki," and was set to return to the role in "Avengers: Kang Dynasty," slated for a 2026 release date.

Marvel dropped Majors from future productions as the Marvel villain in December following the verdict.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Marvel.

ABC News' Rachel Wenzlaff contributed to this report.