Jonathan Majors opened up about his conviction for domestic assault during his acceptance speech during the Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
The “Creed III” actor, who won the Perseverance Award, addressed his trial and sentencing during an emotional 14-minute speech, where he broke down into tears. Majors was convicted of one count of assault and one count of harassment in December 2023 after his ex-girlfriend accused him of domestic violence.
“I reckon folks want to know about this last year. As a Black man in the criminal justice system, I felt anger,” Majors said per Entertainment Weekly. “I felt sadness, hurt, surprise. When they snatched me up out of my apartment in handcuffs, I didn’t feel like all that. I didn’t feel like Jonathan Majors. Mr. Creed. Mr. Kang… I felt like a little scared, weak boy, despite the support and the evidence that was in my favor. I knew s— was bad. It was bad because of who I was and what I am.”
Majors, who was sentenced to complete a 52-week batterer’s intervention program, added that he recognized his “shortcomings” and his “faith has been tested and has been strengthened” over the past year.
“We live in a world where men — Black men in particular — are propped up as either superheroes or super villains,” he said. “But I’ve come to realize, me personally, I ain’t none of that. It was fun, but I’m just me… I’m imperfect. I have shortcomings, I acknowledge them.”
“I’ll say this: there will be moments in your life where things get dark — and I mean really dark — and I’ve seen them depths. I’ve seen that darkness in myself,” Majors concluded. “I’ve sat in that pitch black, and what I’ve learned is that when you catch a glimpse of light, you run as hard and as fast as you can towards it. And I will never take that light for granted again.”
Majors also thanked several A-list celebrities for their support during his speech, including Will Smith, Tyler Perry, David Oyelowo, Whoopi Goldberg, Courtney B. Vance, and his girlfriend Meagan Good.