In what seems like an instant, Jonathan Majors, a nearly universally loved rising star in the film industry, became a controversial figure many believed to be an abuser of women. Before there was even a single detail revealed about his recent arrest, outside of the fact that he was accused of strangling a woman, many people had their minds made up that he was guilty and bound for the “cancel” train, which had reached the last stop of his once-promising career.
Now, I’ve said time and time again that I don’t believe “cancel culture” is a thing, but I do believe that, especially in the internet age, it takes very little for a pristine celebrity to have their reputation forever tarnished. It can happen in an instant. Just ask Will Smith.
Before I go any further, let me just say that even though his accuser recanted her allegation—which happened before the shocking news of the arrest even had time to settle in our spirits—there’s no way to know if Majors is 100% innocent of what he was accused of, at least not without seeing the video his attorney says proves he was actually the victim in the incident, not the aggressor. It’s not unusual for a domestic violence victim to recant an assault claim in order to protect their abuser from legal repercussions after all. And there have been claims made, at least by two filmmakers, that Majors has a reputation for being “cruel” and “abusive.”
But that’s really my point. Regardless of whether he’s innocent or not, there’s a small asterisk next to his name now that may follow him around his whole career. It’s not like he has the benefit of being white. He’s not UFC President Dana White, who was seen on camera slapping his wife, a thing that might have been a trending topic for maybe a day or two before the ubiquitousness of whiteness rendered it old news.
In Majors’ case, you can expect that, despite any and all updates, there will be plenty of people who still…
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