Jonathan Majors Defends Using Coretta Scott King's Name Amid Backlash

Jonathan Majors is explaining why he keeps bringing Coretta Scott King's name into his relationships ... telling us Martin Luther King's widow is an inspiration.

The actor invoked Coretta's name in his first sit-down interview since being found guilty of assault and harassment, drawing the ire of Coretta and MLK's daughter ... and now he's responding to pushback.

Jonathan tells TMZ ... "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."

In his ABC interview, Jonathan praised girlfriend Meagan Good for sticking by his side ... saying, "She's an angel ... she's held me down like a Coretta. I'm so blessed to have her."

As we reported ... Dr. Bernice King seemingly called out Jonathan online after the interview aired, posting ... "My mother wasn't a prop."

Now, Jonathan tells us 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."

Jonathan's trial also included audio clips where he's telling his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari to be more like Coretta and Michelle Obama. Jabbari's the woman he was convicted of assaulting and harassing.