Jonathan Majors Revisits Childhood Trauma

In a candid new interview actor Jonathan Majors admits he suffered from sixual abuse, by both men and women, from a very young age...

From The Hollywood Reporter

In a long and emotional interview in February, and a follow-up interview in March, Majors, who had not sat down with a journalist since he was sentenced in April 2024, talked for the first time about the aftermath of the trial, about the childhood sexual abuse that he says led to depression as an adult and about what his life looks like now. Majors says he is unable to comment directly on Jabbari’s allegations of domestic violence (Jabbari also brought a civil suit against Majors, and their settlement presumably limits what either party can say about the case). Still, his position frustrates those who followed his trial and want a full apology, including at least one ex-girlfriend who spoke to THR. Majors says he does feel responsible for the direction of his life.

“At some point there has to be accountability for writing your own story,” Majors says. “Am I going to fall into that narrative of falling apart, of self-destruction? Have a struggle, blame the world. Have a struggle, hate yourself. Have a struggle, deny everything. None of those narratives is beneficial.” Instead, Majors says, his strategy as he builds a new life post-trial is: “Have a struggle, learn, metabolize, grow.”

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Majors grew up outside Dallas, raised by his mother, a pastor, with whom he is still close. His father, a classical pianist who was in the Air Force, left when he was 8, and Majors did not see him again until his dad came with his sister to see him perform in a college play in North Carolina. “My pop is a very beautiful man, very gentle, but had some qualities that were not complementary to family life,” Majors says. “He was the best dad until he wasn’t. And when he wasn’t, he was gone.”

Majors says after his trial, in addition to the domestic violence program, he underwent therapy and reengaged with his pastor, and as a result began to unpack childhood traumas he had not confronted before. “I dealt with sixual abuse from both men and women from the time I was 9,” Majors says. “From people who are supposed to look after you, in the absence of a father. I was fxcked up.” In recent months, when Majors told his mother about the abuse, he says she apologized for not being able to protect him. “I’m like, ‘It’s not even an issue, mom. I just want you to know. And now we can all get busy and continue to connect and grow and learn from it, because it’s something that was in our family.’” Processing the abuse, Majors says, has led to more self-knowledge about his behavior in relationships. “There are no excuses, but by getting help, you begin to understand things about yourself.”

Read the full interview here