Jonathan Majors Defends Mentions of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Widow After Assault Trial, Has 'Utmost Respect' for Coretta

Embattled actor Jonathan Majors defended his mentions of the late Coretta Scott King, explaining that he holds the widow of Martin Luther King Jr. in high regard after praising his current girlfriend, Meagan Good, for being "a Coretta" in his life.

"My intention was to convey my utmost respect for Coretta Scott King, her achievements, and both her personal legacy and the one she shares with her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King," the Marvel star explained in a Jan. 10 statement.

Majors, 34, notably brought up Coretta before and after his trial stemming from an incident involving former partner Grace Jabbari, for which he was found guilty of assault and harassment.

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Majors was convicted of two charges in a split verdict: misdemeanor assault in the third degree, recklessly causing physical injury, as well as harassment in the second degree.

"It is clear that the jury did not believe Grace Jabbari’s story of what happened in the SUV because they found that Mr. Majors did not intentionally cause any injuries to her," a statement shared via his defense lawyer read. "We are grateful for that."

During his trial, the court notably heard audio clips where he was telling Jabbari to be more like Coretta and Michelle Obama during the course of their relationship.

After his conviction, Majors praised his current girlfriend for fulfilling the role. "She's an angel. She's held me down like a Coretta. I'm so blessed to have her," he said of Good in an interview with ABC News.

"The relationship is still fresh but you know, I think I found her," he continued.

His remarks prompted a response from Bernice King, the daughter of MLK Jr. and Coretta, who spoke out in a now-viral tweet.

"My mother wasn't a prop," Bernice wrote. "She was a peace advocate before she met my father and was instrumental in him speaking out against the Vietnam War. Please understand … my mama was a force."

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Majors clarified that he thinks the world of Coretta, telling TMZ that Good also holds her in high regard. "[Coretta] is a great woman, a very important figure in American and world history, and someone both Meagan and I are inspired by and deeply admire."

During his first interview since trial, Majors also announced his plans to appeal. Looking ahead, he has a sentencing hearing on Feb. 6 where he could face up to a year in jail.