Four women accuse Jared Leto of criminal sexual conduct
Four women have accused Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto of criminal sexual conduct when they were teenagers, according to a BBC investigation. The claims span 2002 to 2016 and include alleged sexual assault, statutory rape and grooming. Leto has not responded to the BBC. Ten women spoke to the documentary Jared Leto: Hollywood's Dark Secret, with nine sharing their stories publicly for the first time.
Key Takeaways
- Four women allege criminal sexual conduct by Jared Leto while they were teenagers, per the BBC.
- Accounts cover alleged motel assault, a hotel threat, under-age sex in California, and sexually explicit calls to a 16-year-old.
- The BBC says it corroborated parts of the accounts with friends, family, photos and messages.
- Despite repeated contact attempts, Leto has not answered the BBC's allegations.
- Thirty Seconds to Mars is due to tour the UK and mainland Europe next spring.
What did the women allege against Jared Leto?
In the BBC film, Isabel, Alex, Clara and Etta — some names changed — describe encounters they say amounted to criminal offences. Isabel says that in 2002, when she was 17, Leto sexually assaulted her in a Las Vegas motel bathroom after calling her in while he showered.
Alex, then 19, says she was left alone with Leto in a London hotel room in 2013 after an after-party. She says that when she asked to sleep on a chaise longue, he repeatedly threatened she would wake up with a sexual assault. Clara alleges she first had sex with Leto at his California home when she was 17 and he was 34, and that he "shrugged off" talk about the state's age of consent of 18.
Etta says that at 16 she received repeated sexually explicit phone calls from Leto, who knew her age, and was later sent a non-disclosure agreement she refused to sign. The BBC says it has seen that NDA. A fifth account in the film describes Taylor, then 14, alleging a lewd comment and an attempt to take her backstage at a 2005 festival.
How did the BBC corroborate the claims?
According to the BBC News report, reporters checked several accounts with friends and family told at the time, and in some cases reviewed pictures and messages. Two longtime band crew members said staff felt uneasy about Leto's interactions with teenage girls, including backstage invites.
One ex-crew member said VIP tickets for female models were requested "direct from Jared" during 2010s arena tours. The BBC also notes more than 120 online allegations about his behaviour toward women, many historical. Last year, Los Angeles DJ Allie Teilz said she was assaulted at 17, and nine women accused Leto of sexual impropriety in Air Mail; he denied those claims.
Has Jared Leto responded to the allegations?
The broadcaster says Leto has not replied despite repeated attempts to put the new allegations to him. Jared Leto, now 54, won the 2014 Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club and fronts Thirty Seconds to Mars, formed in 1998. The band is scheduled to play London's O2 and Manchester's Co-op Live next spring.
For related coverage across culture and breaking stories, visit BlasterPost's Future Tech & AI Wonders hub. Readers affected by these issues can find support via the BBC Action Line linked from the original report.