Jared Leto has denied accusations of criminal sexual conduct made by four women in a new BBC documentary, with the alleged offences taking place when the women were teenagers. In a statement issued hours after the programme aired, the actor and musician said he had never sexually assaulted anyone and called the claims “absolutely and categorically false”.
The documentary, titled Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret, was released on Wednesday and features allegations from 10 women in total, nine of whom are sharing their stories publicly for the first time, the BBC said. The broadcaster added that it had corroborated a number of the women’s accounts with friends and family, and had seen pictures and messages supporting their claims.
The specific allegations from the four women include an assault in a motel bathroom when one alleged victim was 17, a threat of sexual assault when another was 19, and a sexual encounter in California with a 17-year-old, which would constitute statutory rape. A fourth woman said Leto made repeated sexually explicit phone calls to her when she was 16 and on at least one occasion suggested they should have sex; she was later sent a non-disclosure agreement, which she refused to sign.
The BBC said it had repeatedly attempted to contact Leto for a response before the documentary was shown. In his denial, Leto’s statement said: “I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false.”
The documentary also includes accounts from two people who worked with Leto’s band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, who said staff felt uncomfortable about his conduct, including inviting teenage girls backstage or to his recording house. Leto, 54, has been a prominent actor since the 1990s, with roles in Fight Club and Dallas Buyers Club, for which he won an Oscar. He previously faced allegations from DJ Allie Teilz and in a separate Air Mail report, both of which he denied.
Support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from organisations including Rape Crisis in the UK and Rainn in the US.
