Actor Jonathan Majors appeared before a judge for the first time in the New York City assault case stemming from an alleged incident with a woman in March.
The very brief hearing Tuesday morning lasted just three minutes, according to Variety. A trial date was set for Aug. 3, the Manhattan district attorney's office said.
The 33-year-old Majors, whose acclaimed role in the 2020 HBO series "Lovecraft Country" vaulted him into the ranks of Hollywood players to watch, was cuffed March 25 on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment stemming from a dispute with a 30-year-old woman, authorities have said. Cops say she told police Majors attacked her in Chelsea.
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His lawyer, Priya Chaudhry, said the following day that there was evidence clearing him. In a new statement on Tuesday, the attorney again said they provided "evidence of Mr. Majors' innocence" and insisted that the charges against Majors be dropped.
Chaudhry said the evidence shows the woman launched a "frenzied attack" on Majors, and that he was running away from her. She added that there are photos showing injuries her client sustained and his clothing having been torn as a result of the "violent actions."
"Following this, we strongly requested the District Attorney dismiss all charges against Mr. Majors immediately," said Chaudhry, adding that she hoped charges would be brought against the woman instead.
The NYPD previously said the woman suffered minor injuries to her head and neck. Majors was released from custody on the same day as his arrest.
Further details on the relationship between him and the woman weren't immediately available.
Majors recently starred in the 2023 "Ant-Man" movie and has two Avengers movies currently in production. After breaking through in 2019's “The Last Black Man in San Francisco,” he starred in “Da 5 Bloods,” “The Harder They Fall" and last year's “Devotion.” He also stars in the recent Sundance Film Festival entry “Magazine Dreams,” due out in December.
Following his arrest, the Army pulled a newly launched advertising campaign with two ads featuring Majors' narration. Its Enterprise Marketing Office said it was "deeply concerned by the allegations" and added that while the actor is "innocent until proven guilty, prudence dictates that we pull our ads until the investigation" is complete.
The Army ads, titled “Overcoming Obstacles” and “Pushing Tomorrow,” are part of the plan to revive the Army’s “Be All You Can be” motto. It tapped Majors given his recent releases and soaring popularity as it tries to address struggling recruitment, particularly among young people. Last year was its worst recruiting year in history.
