WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 The arrest of actor Jonathan Majors has upended the Army鈥檚 newly launched advertising campaign that was aimed at reviving the service鈥檚 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 鈥淐reed III鈥 and 鈥淎nt-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania,鈥 would help them reach the
In a statement Sunday, the Army鈥檚 Enterprise Marketing Office said that the Army was aware of Majors鈥 arrest and was "deeply concerned by the allegations.鈥 It added that while Majors 鈥渋s innocent until proven guilty, prudence dictates that we pull our ads until the investigation into these allegations is complete.鈥
New York City police said the actor was involved in a domestic dispute with a 30-year-old woman. 鈥淭he victim informed police she was assaulted,鈥 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 鈥渋s provably the victim of an altercation with a woman he knows.鈥
The Army ads, titled 鈥淥vercoming Obstacles鈥 and 鈥淧ushing Tomorrow,鈥 are part of the plan to revive the Army鈥檚 鈥淏e All You Can be鈥 motto. They highlighted the history of the Army and some of the many professions that recruits can pursue.
The "Be All You Can Be鈥 slogan dominated its recruiting ads for two decades starting in 1981. A nearly two-minute preview video, made available before the campaign rollout in early March, featured soldiers jumping out of airplanes, working on helicopters, climbing obstacle courses and diving underwater. A voiceover said: 鈥淲e bring out the best in the people who serve, because America calls for nothing less.鈥
the service fell 25% short of its goal to enlist 60,000 recruits in 2022. The new ads were a key element in the Army's drive to find creative new ways to attract recruits and ensure that the service has the troops it needs to help defend the nation.
Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said the Army has set a difficult goal for this year: aiming to bring in 65,000 recruits, which would be 20,000 more than in 2022.
