Key Takeaways
- Jared Leto, 54, responds to the BBC documentary Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret by insisting, “I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life,” calling the new wave of claims “absolutely and categorically false.”
- The film features allegations from 10 women, including four who describe conduct that could be criminal—such as sexual assault, statutory rape, coercion, and alleged grooming of teenagers via explicit calls and encounters when they were underage.
- BBC reporters say they corroborated parts of several accounts with friends, relatives, photos, messages, and ex–Thirty Seconds to Mars staffers who describe disturbing interactions with teenage fans, while noting Leto did not respond to them before the documentary aired.
Jared Leto is forcefully denying a new wave of sexual misconduct allegations detailed in a BBC documentary.
“I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life,” the 54-year-old actor and Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman told People in a statement Wednesday, July 29. “These claims are absolutely and categorically false.”
His denial comes as Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret puts 10 women’s allegations against him under a fresh spotlight. Four accuse Leto of conduct that could be considered criminal, including sexual assault, statutory rape, and coercion. Nine of the women reportedly shared their accounts publicly for the first time.
One woman alleges Leto sexually assaulted her in a motel bathroom when she was 17. Another claims he threatened to assault her when she was 19. A third says she had sex with Leto at his California home when she was 17 and he was 34. California’s age of consent is 18.
That woman claims Leto brushed aside concerns about her age and asked her to call him “daddy.” A fourth accuser alleges Leto groomed her through repeated sexually explicit phone calls when she was 16, including at least one conversation in which he allegedly suggested they have sex.
The BBC said it reviewed a nondisclosure agreement that the fourth woman claims she was asked to sign in exchange for staying silent about their relationship. She refused.
Four other women interviewed for the film described receiving phone calls from Leto that they considered strange or sexual when they were younger.
The allegations stretch beyond Leto’s film career. Two former Thirty Seconds to Mars employees claim staffers were disturbed by his interactions with teenage fans, some of whom were allegedly invited backstage or to a house where the band was recording.
One former crew member, identified only as Brad, called Leto “one of the worst people I’ve ever worked for in any shape or form.” He claimed workers were instructed to pull girls from the audience and bring them backstage, where Leto would speak with them inside his dressing room. Brad said he did not know what happened after that.
The BBC said it corroborated parts of several women’s accounts through friends and relatives who heard about the alleged encounters at the time. The broadcaster also reviewed photographs and messages it says support some of their claims. Leto did not provide the BBC with a response before the documentary aired.
The film marks the latest chapter in a controversy that has followed the Oscar-winning actor since 2025. Los Angeles DJ Allie Teilz publicly accused Leto of sexually assaulting her when she was 17, while an Air Mail investigation featured nine women who alleged years of inappropriate behavior. Some said they were underage at the time.
A representative for Leto “expressly” denied those claims.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, confidential help is available through RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline. Call 800-656-HOPE (4673), text HOPE to 64673, or use RAINN’s online chat.
