STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Jury selection continues today in the criminal trial of the actor Jonathan Majors. He faces charges of misdemeanor assault and harassment. Yesterday, the judge, Michael Gaffney, sealed evidence that he said could be prejudicial and inflammatory, and today he may rule to remove it from the trial altogether. Here's NPR's Neda Ulaby.
NEDA ULABY, BYLINE: Until recently, Jonathan Majors seemed on track to become one of the biggest leading men of his generation.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "CREED III")
JOSE BENAVIDEZ: (As Felix) Let's go, grandpa. (Grunting).
JONATHAN MAJORS: (As Damian) It's not enough.
ULABY: He was cheered by critics for playing a complex, wounded antagonist in this year's boxing drama "Creed III." Majors, 34 years old, a graduate of the Yale School of Drama, also starred in an acclaimed HBO series and was cast as a supervillain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "LOKI")
MAJORS: (As He Who Remains) Don't you wonder how I'm able to get out of the way just before you kill me?
ULABY: But last March, Majors allegedly got into an altercation with his then-girlfriend. She accused him of slapping her and pushing her violently in a car while heading to his apartment. She was treated at a hospital for minor injuries and a broken finger. Major's defense team says she started the fight. Over the past few months, his lawyer has tried to paint her as an unstable, unreliable aggressor. Attempts to get her charged with criminal mischief and misdemeanor assault were unsuccessful. Much is at stake for Jonathan Majors. Since the charges became public, he's reportedly lost jobs, and at least one movie he starred in has been delayed from theatrical release. It's also unclear what will happen with his Marvel character. The studio has underperformed recently and was counting on Kang the Conqueror to generate fan interest.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "LOKI")
MAJORS: (As He Who Remains) I know it all and I've seen it all.
ULABY: Majors has already shown up as Kang in the latest "Ant-Man" movie and in the TV show "Loki."
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "LOKI")
SOPHIA DI MARTINO: (As Sylvie) No, we broke out of your little game. That's how we got here.
MAJORS: (As He Who Remains) No, wrong. Every step you took to get here - Lamentis, the Void - I paved the road.
ULABY: Jonathan Majors faces up to a year in jail if he's found guilty.
Neda Ulaby, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF LES TRES' "THE GHOST IN YOUR SMILE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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