A new BBC documentary, Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret, includes allegations from 10 women who accuse the actor and musician of sexually inappropriate behavior, with four of them claiming criminal sexual conduct that occurred when they were teenagers.
Allegations Span 2002 to 2016
The incidents are alleged to have taken place between 2002 and 2016, when Leto was in his 30s and 40s. He is now 54. One woman claims Leto assaulted her in a motel bathroom when she was 17. Another alleges he threatened her with sexual assault when she was 19 and left alone with him in a hotel room.
A third woman says she had sex with Leto in California when she was 17, which would constitute statutory rape as the age of consent is 18 in that state. She says Leto “shrugged off” a conversation about the age of consent. A fourth woman alleges Leto made repeated sexually explicit phone calls to her when she was 16 and suggested they have sex. She was later sent a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to prevent her from discussing her relationship with Leto, which the BBC says it has seen. She refused to sign it.
BBC Corroborates Accounts
The BBC stated it corroborated several women’s accounts with friends and family who were told about the encounters at the time, and in some cases, reviewed pictures and messages supporting the claims. The documentary features nine women sharing their stories publicly for the first time.
Two individuals who worked with Leto’s band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, also allege he made staff uncomfortable. They claim he sometimes invited teenage girls backstage to his dressing room or to the house where he was recording.
Leto’s Background and Previous Allegations
Leto has been a prominent actor since the 1990s, with roles in Fight Club, The Thin Red Line, and Girl, Interrupted. He won an Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club and appeared in Suicide Squad, Blade Runner 2049, and Masters of the Universe. Thirty Seconds to Mars, formed in 1998, is touring Europe with dates in London and Manchester next year.
Last year, DJ Allie Teilz alleged on social media that Leto assaulted her when she was 17. In a separate report by Air Mail, nine women accused him of inappropriate behavior. Leto denied those allegations. The BBC said Leto did not respond to its requests for comment on the new claims.
