Multiple outlets have reported on Majors' history of abuse against Jabbari, going so far as to coerce her to allegedly lie about injuries she sustained after he threw glass candles at her. As per industry standards of the last few years, Majors was axed from his upcoming roles for Marvel's comic book universe that were cemented by the flick Antman and the Wasp: Quantamania where Majors and Jabbari met.
The swift action is a step in the right direction for Marvel which maintains its staunch stance against abuse experienced by women in Hollywood. However, there are glaring differences in how certain actors are made to walk the plank.
When the Majors case caught the public's attention, there were disgruntled X posts from Marvel staffers and previous acquaintances speaking out about his violent behaviour. However, this same sentiment is not shared for fellow Marvel stablemates such as Martin Freeman. The Black Panther star continues to cash in on his roles despite his homophobia and the child abuse his children endured. The actor has also ruffled feathers for his disturbing views on rape.
Most strikingly, the Marvel team still took in Russel Crowe who has a known violent history on and off set. In 2016, he got a slap on the wrist after assaulting female rapper Azealia Banks and managed to lead Unhinged where he plays a temperamental divorcee who becomes a canvas for Crowe's rage. The meta-joke continued in his portrayal of a gluttonous and easily angered version of the Greek god Zeus in Thor: Love and Thunder.
OPINION | Jonathan Majors vs Hollywood's double standards
With the actor found guilty and axed from his Marvel deal, it seems Hollywood has double standards when it comes to which actors face being fired
Image: Jay Maidment
The once promising career of Jonathan Majors has plummeted in the blink of an eye. The acclaimed actor was found guilty of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari.
According to CBS, the jury pored over evidence of what happened on the night Majors pushed Jabbari into the SUV they were in on March 25. They eventually determined Majors brought harm to Jabbari recklessly and not intentionally on two out of four charges against him.
The incident took place after Jabbari grabbed Majors' phone due to an allegedly salacious text message on his phone. It is at this point that Jabbari shared that she sustained her injuries due to Majors trying to retrieve his phone.
Image: Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for Disney
Multiple outlets have reported on Majors' history of abuse against Jabbari, going so far as to coerce her to allegedly lie about injuries she sustained after he threw glass candles at her. As per industry standards of the last few years, Majors was axed from his upcoming roles for Marvel's comic book universe that were cemented by the flick Antman and the Wasp: Quantamania where Majors and Jabbari met.
The swift action is a step in the right direction for Marvel which maintains its staunch stance against abuse experienced by women in Hollywood. However, there are glaring differences in how certain actors are made to walk the plank.
When the Majors case caught the public's attention, there were disgruntled X posts from Marvel staffers and previous acquaintances speaking out about his violent behaviour. However, this same sentiment is not shared for fellow Marvel stablemates such as Martin Freeman. The Black Panther star continues to cash in on his roles despite his homophobia and the child abuse his children endured. The actor has also ruffled feathers for his disturbing views on rape.
Most strikingly, the Marvel team still took in Russel Crowe who has a known violent history on and off set. In 2016, he got a slap on the wrist after assaulting female rapper Azealia Banks and managed to lead Unhinged where he plays a temperamental divorcee who becomes a canvas for Crowe's rage. The meta-joke continued in his portrayal of a gluttonous and easily angered version of the Greek god Zeus in Thor: Love and Thunder.
Image: Gallo/Getty
Image: REUTERS/Brian Snyder TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Neither actor was punished for the misdemeanours or lost the opportunity to take on future roles. The most striking difference is that Majors can be seen in the rival superhero movie franchise The Flash (2023) starring the controversial actor Ezra Miller. After a series of violent outbursts as reported by Rolling Stone, Miller was allowed to promote the movie and was not replaced for the blockbuster which would eventually suffer for supporting the actor.
Questions around the swift action against Majors are understandable as the lead star of future movies slated for the fifth phase of Marvel's cinematic universe. It's a big role that could cost them heavily. Much like the 10-year ban on former Oscar-winning actor Will Smith after he slapped comedian Chris Rock on the Academy Awards stage after Rock's joke at the expense of Smith's wife. In contrast, convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein was never requested to return his Oscar awards after his case that shocked the world. Neither was Sean Penn, who was able to successfully rebrand himself from a Hollywood bad boy to a respected advocate for human rights. Roman Polanski fled the US in 1978 after statutory rape charges and was still able to scoop an Oscar 25 years later in 2003.
While Majors is rightfully facing the hand of the law for his abusive behaviour, it raises the question on whether Hollywood is fair in its judgment of black actors when they are wrong.
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