I’m going to get this out of the way up front and plain as day because I do not want people reading this piece any other way. Should the facts bear out against Jonathan Majors in his domestic violence case, not only does he deserve to lose roles, money, opportunities, and potentially, his career, but we in the press should be clear as day about why these things happened to him. This is not Jonathan Majors apologia nor will I ever come to the defense of anyone who has committed domestic violence.
Some background on me to explain why. My grandfather was a highly successful man in America. Not only did he do his military job well, he did it well enough to become the telecommunications officer for John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson during their Presidencies. Not only did he serve two U.S. Presidents, they lived in the White House and received many different awards for his service. I have personally inherited the Presidential Inauguration coins of both Presidents, along with various photographs of my family that they had taken in and of the White House, including with both Presidents on many different occasions. Why is any of this important? Because whatever he did for our country was vastly outweighed at home by the fact that he not only continuously beat my grandmother, but he molested my mother to the point that she had to flee from Texas to California.
Given the era in which these crimes were committed along with the fact that my grandfather was a man of import, you can be sure no charges ever even came close to being filed and not only did he not face any career consequences, he went on to have an honorable retirement. It was almost like the fact that because Kennedy’s personal doctor had managed to successfully diagnose her child with Cerebral Palsy at a time when nobody knew much about it, it was okay that he terrorized a family so much its ramifications can be felt today in 2023.. I realize CP was discovered in the 1800’s, but the first advocacy group wasn’t started in the United States until the 1950’s with Leonard and Isabelle Goldenson.
So I have little patience for these types of crimes, as I’ve personally felt their impact in deep and real ways. My mother was unable to even be a normal human being or mother because she was so traumatized, and that ended up being my cross to bear as she put me up for adoption three times before the age of three and finally lost custody to my grandmother who used it as weapon against her and me until I eventually left home after being locked up with Paris Hilton in Utah. That last sentence is neither a lie nor a joke. We were really incarcerated together. In fact, me, Paris, Cameron Douglas, and Sasha Barrese (American Pie) all got sent to Provo Canyon School, which was its own special form of hell.
Domestic violence and mental health issues are not things to be taken lightly or used as a means to casually dismiss violent or dangerous behavior. Lately social media has been ablaze about the Jonathan Majors situation after it was reported that he’s been dropped from his label and from many projects and opportunities by nearly every outlet dealing with media. The speed with which Majors has seen consequences has been noted when his white colleague, Ezra Miller, had an entire summer of criming and doing horrible things to people, but not only did Warner Brothers stick by them, they promoted them and their film. They helped them get the help they needed and by all accounts, it seems to be working. Don’t quote me on that, though, as I try to avoid digging into other people’s therapeutic work, if out of respect more than anything else.
But when it came to Majors, the consequences were almost immediate. Miller wasn’t dropped from their biggest project, in fact I can’t even find an article saying they were dropped by any agency or studios. They actually met with them to give him a chance to explain themselves and then decided to quietly stick with them. All the more mind-blowing about this situation is the fact that the United States has a certain portion of the population seemingly hell-bent on eliminating transgender people from any form of civilized society and Miller still made it through that gauntlet without seeing the same consequences as Majors. I am NOT suggesting trans people should face more scrutiny, but it’s definitely worth noting that Majors was still hit harder than Miller even with the agenda against trans folks, and there is definitely an agenda against them.
There has to be a way for society to not only hold Majors accountable, but also apply those same standards to everyone else in the acting community; white, black, Asian, trans, non-binary, or otherwise. It shouldn’t be controversial to say that Majors is seeing backlash that his white counterparts rarely see, but to also fully support the consequences Majors has received while demanding similar ramifications for others. The idea that we’re all equal under the law shouldn’t be a controversy, but the fact that people are even having to ask for this basic protection tells you everything about whether or not that principle holds true. If you’re still struggling to determine if it holds true, it doesn’t.
I’ve seen people point out that Miller’s failings “weren’t as severe” as Majors’ or that Majors doesn’t have the “severe mental health issues” that Miller has. My response to this is a little more nuanced than people are used to getting. I would highlight a couple things in response to this. The biggest problem with assuming that Miller has “more severe problems” than Majors is that you don’t actually know that without seeing their medical and therapeutic history. How many times have you turned on the news to see someone saying “we had no idea they were capable of this, they seemed so normal and outgoing?”
The second thing I would highlight is that people are now feeling more comfortable sharing their stories about Majors and the stuff that’s coming out about him suggests there may be a LOT more to this man than we know or see. Variety just reported today that MULTIPLE women are cooperating with this investigation and that he’s a chronic abuser. It’s entirely possible that Miller is the lesser of two evils here, but people can’t possibly know that without extensive training in this area and a clear look at the patient’s medical history.
Speculative psychology is almost always incorrect. I can’t count the number of people who are certain they know how I’ll react to something only to find the exact opposite happens when they test their hypothesis. You simply cannot know and suggesting you do based on what you’ve read or heard only betrays your lack of actual knowledge on the subject. I’ve had more therapy than most humans will ever have — been in therapy since I was three years old, not joking — and I don’t even engage in speculative psychology.
Jonathan Majors needs to be held accountable. That’s not the issue at hand. The issue at hand is why there are seemingly two sets of rules, laws, or unwritten boundaries that white people are seemingly free to cross over and over, but black people get caught up over and over. It shouldn’t be the case that one person is given help and another is tossed to the wolves when we can help two people and potentially save two people. Call me crazy, but I think it’s possible to do two things at one time. The question is whether or not people have the will to do it and that’s what I find sorely lacking.
Kane Webb is an entertainment journalist for @BSO and @TheMarvelReport. He also writes about the USC Trojans for @AthlonSports and has been featured on @FanSided, @Scout, @Rivals, the Bakersfield Californian, Wisconsin State Journal, and much more. You can follow him on Twitter: @FightOnTwist
