Serious allegations have emerged regarding Oscar winner and Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto, 54, as detailed in a new BBC investigative documentary titled Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret. Airing on Wednesday, July 29, the film brings forward accounts from multiple women detailing alleged experiences with the artist that span across nearly fifteen years, between 2002 and 2016.
Among the ten women who participated in the project, four have alleged that they were teenagers during their encounters with Leto, who would have been in his 30s at the time. The claims include severe accusations of sexual assault and predatory behavior. One woman alleges that Leto sexually assaulted her when she was 17 years old inside a motel bathroom, while another claims that at age 19, he threatened her with sexual assault. A third individual alleges she was 16 when he initiated grooming behavior, proposing sex and requesting she sign a non-disclosure agreement—a document the BBC confirms it has reviewed—which she ultimately refused to sign.
Furthermore, another woman alleges she engaged in sexual relations with Leto at age 17, placing her under the legal age of consent under California law. Describing his reaction when informed of her age, she noted that he appeared dismissive of the legal boundary. “It wasn’t a huge concern for him,” she apparently said. “He told me, ‘I would like you to call me daddy.’ And it was either pretend to be a little girl or ‘my little girl.’”
The documentary also outlines testimonies beyond the primary four accusers. According to the reporting, the BBC noted: “Another woman says, when she was 14, he instructed a security guard to take her backstage at a music festival after having made a lewd comment about her chest during an autograph-signing. The girl’s mother confronted Leto, but he repeated the comment, it is alleged.”
Former touring crew members also contributed to the investigation, reflecting on the environment surrounding the band during those years. The BBC wrote, “Two men who worked with Leto’s band for many years also told the documentary how uncomfortable staff felt about the way Leto would interact with teenage girls, sometimes inviting them backstage to his dressing room or inviting them to the house where he was recording.” One former employee noted, “I think everyone thought the age gap was way too big.”
Addressing the serious claims brought forward in Hollywood’s Dark Secret, Leto issued a direct statement denying all wrongdoing. In a statement to Just Jared, the actor and musician maintained his innocence: “I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false.”
