Jonathan Majors breaks down in tears at unlocked Hollywood awards

The actor was convicted six months ago of domestic assault and molesting his ex-girlfriend

Just six months ago, Jonathan Majors was convicted of domestic assault and molestation, but that didn’t stop Hollywood Unlocked from honoring him with the “Perseverance Award” at the annual Impact Awards on Friday night in Beverly Hills.

“I am imperfect. I have flaws – I admit them,” Majors said, fighting back tears during lengthy speeches after being presented with an award by self-help guru and inspirational speaker Iyanla Vanzant.

It was an emotional moment for the actor, who took the stage after an emotional film charting the ups and downs of the “Creed III” and “Lovecraft Country” star’s career, but he was greeted by a starry-eyed audience with a standing ovation, led by Hollywood Unlocked founder Jason Lee.

Majors continually denied all allegations throughout the 19-day trial, but in April the “Creed III” actor was sentenced to a year of domestic violence counseling. Under a New York judge’s ruling, Majors must complete a 52-week program in Los Angeles, where he currently lives.

On stage at the Majors awards ceremony, he tearfully recalled the experience.

“What does perseverance mean?” he said. “Perseverance means persevering in doing something despite difficulties and delays. And the God I serve put me in a position where I had to embody that word more than I wanted or wanted.”

He continued: “We live in a world where men, especially black men, are portrayed as either superheroes or supervillains. But I realized that I personally don’t do anything like that. … I’m just this guy whose faith was tested. This testimony strengthened her.”

The actor’s legal troubles changed the trajectory of his rapidly rising star. Majors was set to play Kang the Conqueror in the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after appearances in “Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania” and “Loki,” but on the day the verdict was announced he was removed from all future MCU films. Other film roles also disappeared, including the famous film in which he played Dennis Rodman. Majors was previously fired by his manager at Entertainment 360 and his advertising company Lede Company following his arrest in March 2023. (He remains repped by talent agency WME.)

However, in the spirit of “perseverance” suggested by the Hollywood Unlocked award, it was announced on Thursday that Majors had landed the lead role in Martin Villeneuve’s revenge thriller “Ruthless,” his first new project since his conviction.

“There will be moments in your life where it gets dark, and I mean really dark. (…) I saw that darkness in myself,” he said. “I sat in this total darkness and learned that when you see a glimmer of light, you run towards it as hard and as fast as you can. And I will never take that light for granted again.

Majors then thanked everyone who supported him in these difficult times: from his family (especially his mother, sisters, daughter and girlfriend Meagan Good, who was visibly moved in the audience) to a group of Hollywood heavyweights.

“The light came to me in several ways: In midnight text messages from our brother Will Smith. “Tyler Perry brought life to me by just supporting and loving people in the same way,” he said, then congratulated David Oyelowo and his group of black actors supporting each other via text messages, as well as filmmakers Deon and Roxane Taylor for giving him space in the production office.

Another strong support came from his “Lovecraft Country” co-star, Courtney B. Vance. It was the same with Whoopi Goldberg, who appears on Good’s show “Harlem,” with Majors saying she “breathed a light of wisdom, understanding and care to me and my queen. (Whoopi) allowed us to understand community support. … They are extraordinary people.”

Earlier in the evening, Majors and Good walked the red carpet hand-in-hand, and he refrained from doing multiple interviews, opting instead to share his thoughts on stage. The awards ceremony wasn’t Majors’ first appearance in Hollywood after controversy. In March, he attended the 7th Annual AAFCA Special Achievement Awards Luncheon with Good, and the pair walked the red carpet at the NAACP Image Awards.

Tiffany Haddish returned to host the fourth annual Hollywood Unlocked Impact Awards held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. Other honorees included Cardi B (Inspiration Award), Jasmine Crockett (Social Impact Award), civil rights attorney Ben Crump (Community Award), designer Christian Louboutin (Innovation Award), Fat Joe (Culture Award) and Da Brat and Jessica Harris-Dupart (spirit award). While there was no Perseverance Award recipient at the 2023 ceremony, 2022 honored actress and singer Jenifer Lewis.

Majors concluded his speech with a call to action, saying the last few years have reminded him how much of an impact we can have on others every day.

“Perseverance is more than just getting through difficult times,” he explained. “It’s about the people who inspire you, encourage you and support us. Those who kindle this flame are the light that is central to us and that keeps us alive when we feel like we can’t. I receive this award not only as a recognition of my perseverance, but also as a command to be there for others and help them when and if their trials come.”

However, he addressed his last words to his daughter. “Your father loves you,” Majors said, choking back sobs as he left the stage to another standing ovation from the audience.