The arrest of actor Jonathan Majors has upended the Army’s newly launched advertising campaign that was aimed at reviving the service’s struggling recruiting numbers.
Majors, who authorities said was arrested Saturday in New York on charges of strangulation, assault and harassment, was the narrator of two ads at the heart of a broader media campaign that kicked off at the start of the NCAA’s March Madness college basketball tournament.
Army leaders were hopeful that the popularity of the star of the recently released Creed III and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, would help them reach the youth audience.
In a statement Sunday, the Army’s Enterprise Marketing Office said that the Army was aware of Majors’ arrest and was deeply concerned by the allegations. It added that while Majors is innocent until proven guilty, prudence dictates that we pull our ads until the investigation into these allegations is complete.
New York City police said the actor was involved in a domestic dispute with a 30-year-old woman. The victim informed police she was assaulted, a police spokesperson said in a statement.
A lawyer for Majors, Priya Chaudhry, said in a statement Sunday there was evidence clearing Majors and that the actor is probably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows.
The Army ads, titled Overcoming Obstacles and Pushing Tomorrow, are part of the plan to revive the Army’s Be All You Can be motto. They highlighted the history of the Army and some of the many professions that recruits can pursue.
