The U.S. Army has paused new advertising featuringJonathan Majorsafter theCreed IIIactor was arrested for analleged domestic assault in New York.
The Army’s"Be All You Can Be"recruitment campaign features two videos where Majors appears on camera and narrates various military scenes.
“We recently released two ads in which Mr. Majors appears. While Mr. Majors is innocent until proven guilty, prudence dictates that we pull our ads until the investigation into these allegations is complete.”
TheAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniastar, 33, wasarrested in New York City for an alleged domestic disputeon Saturday, per police. His lawyer said Majors is “completely innocent.”
“The victim informed police she was assaulted. Officers placed the 33-year-old male into custody without incident,” the NYPD shared. “The victim sustained minor injuries to her head and neck and was removed to an area hospital in stable condition.”
Jonathan Majors attends the 95th Annual Academy Awards.Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
While police identified Majors — who was listed as being charged with strangulation, assault and harassment — the victim was not identified.
Priya Chaudhry, Majors' criminal defense lawyer, maintained in a statement shared on Sunday with PEOPLE that the actor is “completely innocent and is probably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows.”
“We are quickly gathering and presenting evidence to the District Attorney with the expectation that all charges will be dropped imminently,” Chaudhry stated. “This evidence includes video footage from the vehicle where this episode took place, witness testimony from the driver and others who both saw and heard the episode, and most importantly, two written statements from the woman recanting these allegations.”
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The actor’s involvement with theU.S. Army was announced as part of a rebrandingaround the motto “Be All You Can Be.” The paid media campaign was launched with the start of the 2023 NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. The military ads were promoted across television, print, digital billboards, streaming video, social and community platforms, and audio channels.
Apress release from the launch announcementsaid Majors was “at the center of the brand rollout,” which aimed to boost recruitment.
TheU.S. Army 2024 Budget Highlightscites an increase in funding “to enhance our marketing and advertising efforts. All our efforts are toward the goal of recruiting and maintaining high-quality talented soldiers.” PEOPLE contacted the U.S. Army regarding the cost of the “Be All You Can Be” campaign.
Majors, who plays Kang in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was raised in Texas and got a major break in 2017 when he starred as activist Ken Jones in the four-part ABC limited seriesWhen We Rise.
In the years to follow, Majors landed amain role in the recentAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumaniafilm. His character of Kang the Conqueror is featured in the title ofMarvel’s upcomingAvengers: The Kang Dynasty, which is set for release on May 2, 2025.
PEOPLE has reached out to a representative of Majors for comment regarding the U.S. Army’s decision.
source: people.com
