Trigger Notice: This story includes allegations of sexual assault, personal grooming, and sexually explicit content with teenagers. Some readers may find the material disturbing.Oscar-winning actor and leader of Thirty Seconds to Mars Jared Leto has been accused of criminal sexual conduct by four women, who allege the incidents took place when they were teenagers. The allegations are detailed in the BBC documentary Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret, in which a total of 10 women recount their experiences with the actor, nine of them speaking publicly for the first time.According to the BBC, the women say they met Leto between 2002 and 2016, when he was in his 30s and 40s. The station said it corroborated several of the accounts through conversations with friends and family, as well as photographs, text messages and emails shared by some of the women.Among the allegations, one woman claims she was sexually assaulted in a motel bathroom when she was 17, another says Leto threatened to sexually assault her when she was 19, a third alleges she had sex with him at age 17 in California, which she says would constitute statutory rape under state law, while a fourth accuses her of explicitly calling him16.Despite repeated attempts by the BBC to seek his response, Leto did not respond to the latest allegations. Last year, he denied similar accusations published by the American chain Air Mail.
A woman reports assault at the age of 17
A woman identified only as Isabel claimed she was 17 when she met Leto at a Las Vegas motel in 2002 after showing him and his friends around the store where he worked.Recalling the alleged incident, she said: “Most of my life I had seen this event as, I was a stupid girl … and that’s how this bad thing happened.”According to Isabel, Leto allegedly kissed her while she was showering and forced her to touch him sexually before she managed to leave the room.She also claimed that she only realized the actor was 30 years old after looking him up online.
Meeting with hotel room and alleged threat
Another woman, identified as Alex, claimed she was 19 when she met Leto after a Thirty Seconds to Mars concert in London in 2013.She claimed he initially told her she was 17, to which he allegedly replied: “Age is just a number and we’re in Europe anyway.”Alex alleged that after being encouraged by one of Leto’s aides to attend another meeting, she found herself alone with him in a hotel room. When she asked him if he could sleep on a chaise longue because he had no way to get home, he alleged that Leto repeatedly replied that he would wake up “with a dick up his ass.”Reflecting on the incident, she said, “I’m not sure.” He later texted a friend, who allegedly replied: “He was threatening to sexually assault you, you should report him.”Alex said in the documentary that he now believes “the assistant knew what to say, to lure me to his hotel room”.
Claims of sexual relations between minors
A third woman, named Clara, alleged that she first had sex with Leto in California when she was 17 and he was 34.She claimed that Leto asked her to call him “Daddy” and referred to her as “my little girl”.Clara further alleged that during a discussion about California’s age of consent, he “shrugged it off like it wasn’t a big concern for him.”Looking back, he said, “It was only as time went on that I realized more and more how scary it really was.”He added: “There’s no well-adjusted man in his 30s who looks at a teenager and thinks … they’d make a great partner.”
Preparation allegations and explicit calls
A fourth woman, identified as Etta, alleged that she met Leto at age 16 after visiting a modeling agency with her mother in Los Angeles in 2014.He claimed that after he initially contacted her about an invite to his Oscar party, the conversations quickly turned sexual.“He sent me an email and very quickly it turned into something sexual on the phone,” she alleged.According to Etta, Leto asked explicit questions, including whether she was a virgin, and at one point suggested they had sex.She said she felt “nervous,” “anxious” and “uncomfortable” but struggled to set boundaries because of her age.Etta also alleged that she was later sent a non-disclosure agreement to prevent her from speaking publicly about her interactions with Leto. She refused to sign it.
Former crew members speak out
The documentary also includes interviews with two former members of the Thirty Seconds to Mars crew, who claimed they were uncomfortable with Leto’s interactions with teenage girls.A former crew member, identified as Brad, claimed requests to invite female models backstage came “directly from Jared,” adding that asking agencies specifically for women felt “a little awkward.”Another former staff member, called Simon, alleged that young women regularly visited a house where the band was recording.Brad further claimed that teenage girls invited on stage during concerts were often asked backstage in Leto’s dressing room later.
Previous allegations
The BBC reported that allegations about Leto’s behavior towards young women have been circulating online for years and said it identified more than 120 separate claims made on the internet.Last year, Los Angeles DJ Allie Teilz publicly alleged that she had been assaulted by Leto when she was 17, prompting other women to come forward. At the same time, Air Mail published allegations from nine women accusing Leto of sexual misconduct. Leto denied these allegations.Leto, 54, won the Oscar for best supporting actor for Dallas Buyers Club in 2014 and has starred in films including Fight Club, Blade Runner 2049, Suicide Squad and Masters of the Universe. He has also fronted the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars since its formation in 1998.Disclaimer: The allegations reported in this article come from the BBC documentary Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret and are claims by the women featured in it. Jared Leto has not been charged with any crime in connection with these allegations. According to the BBC, the actor did not respond to its latest requests for comment. He has previously denied similar allegations published by Air Mail in 2025. The allegations remain unproven, and no court has ruled on the claims.