Jared Leto faces sexual misconduct allegations
American actor and musician Jared Leto is facing new public allegations of sexual misconduct after 10 women came forward in a BBC documentary titled _Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret_.
The film focuses on claims that span more than a decade, between 2002 and 2016. During that period Leto was in his 30s and 40s. He is now 54. The women allege they encountered Leto when they were teenagers or in their early 20s.
Four of the women detail what they describe as criminal sexual conduct. One woman said she was sexually assaulted in a motel bathroom when she was 17. Another said Leto threatened her with sexual assault when she was 19. A third alleged she had sex with Leto in California at age 17. In California the legal age of consent is 18, meaning the act would be classified as statutory rape. She told the BBC that when she raised the issue of age, Leto dismissed it. A fourth woman alleged she was groomed by Leto from age 16, including receiving multiple sexually explicit phone calls in which he suggested they have sex.
Beyond those four, four other women told the BBC they received repeated phone calls from Leto that were strange and often sexual in nature while they were still young. They said the calls left them uncomfortable and confused at the time.
The BBC said it attempted to verify the accounts. According to the broadcaster, friends and family members of several women confirmed they were told about the encounters with Leto at the time they happened. In some cases the BBC said it had reviewed photographs and messages that supported parts of the women’s statements.
The documentary also includes testimony from two men who worked with Leto’s band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, for many years. Both described an uneasy atmosphere among crew members regarding Leto’s interactions with young female fans. They said staff observed Leto inviting teenage girls backstage to his dressing room and to the house where the band was recording. “I think everyone thought the age gap was way too big,” one of them said in the film.
Leto did not respond to the BBC’s requests for comment ahead of the documentary’s release. Representatives for the actor have not issued a public statement as of press time.
The program also references the broader conversation around Leto online. The BBC reported it had counted more than 120 separate allegations posted online over the years relating to Leto’s behavior toward women, some of them dating back more than a decade.
Leto is a well-known Hollywood actor and Academy Award winner. His credits include _Dallas Buyers Club_, for which he won Best Supporting Actor, _Suicide Squad_, and the recent _Masters of the Universe_. He is also the lead singer of the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars.
No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the allegations detailed in the documentary.
