Jared Leto Accused of Sexual Misconduct in New Documentary

The recent BBC documentary, Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret, has brought accusations against singer and actor Jared Leto into the spotlight. Four women claim he committed criminal sexual misconduct. One woman reported being sexually assaulted by Leto in a motel when she was 17. Another woman asserted having sex with Leto at the same age in California, where the legal age of consent is 18, and mentioned Leto dismissed her concerns about their age difference. A third account involved a 19-year-old who alleges Leto threatened her with sexual assault in a hotel room. A fourth woman accused Leto of grooming her at 16, using his celebrity status to make sexually explicit calls and suggest having sex.

Newsweek attempted to reach Leto for comment via email outside regular hours. The BBC stated Leto did not respond to multiple contact attempts regarding these charges.

Details from the BBC Documentary

The documentary features interviews with ten women, nine of whom spoke publicly for the first time. They encountered Leto from 2002 to 2016 when he was in his 30s and 40s. The BBC corroborated parts of their accounts through people who heard about the incidents earlier.

One interviewee, identified as Isabel, recalled meeting Leto at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas in 2002. She described meeting him after work, expecting it to be at his hotel, but found herself in a “dingy motel.” Reflecting on the event, Isabel acknowledged she initially blamed herself, but later reconsidered her perspective.

The documentary presents stories from others who met Leto at concerts, after-parties, and through the music and modeling industries. Several said they became more aware of these events’ impact as they matured.

Jared Leto’s Career

Jared Leto became famous as an actor in the 1990s, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Dallas Buyers Club in 2014. His other film credits include Fight Club, Blade Runner 2049, and Suicide Squad. Leto is also the lead singer of Thirty Seconds to Mars, formed with his brother Shannon Leto in 1998. The band continues to tour internationally.

Ongoing Allegations Against Leto

Allegations about Leto’s behavior with young women have persisted for years. The BBC identified over 120 online claims regarding his actions, dating back to the early 2000s. In 2005, the New York Post reported Leto’s interactions with teenage girls in New York. The topic resurfaced in 2025 when Air Mail published accusations from nine women, some involving teenagers. Leto has denied those allegations through a representative.

Concerns from Former Crew Members

The documentary also includes testimonies from two former Thirty Seconds to Mars crew members. Both expressed discomfort with young girls and women brought into the band’s environment. One crew member, “Simon,” said women frequently visited the group’s recording sessions. Simon recalled an unsettling encounter with a girl who appeared “very young.”

Another crew member, “Brad,” noted requests from Leto for female models to receive VIP tickets during tours. Brad and others found the age gap disturbing.

Simon mentioned some recent allegations felt similar to his observations with the band, describing them as “uncanny” and “disturbing.”

Jared Leto’s Absence from ‘Masters of the Universe’ Press

Leto’s absence from the publicity campaign for the Masters of the Universe, where he played Skeletor, was notable despite his prominence as a star. This low-profile approach contrasted with his established public presence as an Oscar-winner and musician.