By Adegboyega Adeleye
Oscar-winning actor and Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto has denied allegations of sexual assault and criminal sexual conduct after a BBC documentary featured accounts from 10 women, four of whom accused him of offences allegedly committed when they were teenagers.
The documentary, “Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret”, released by the BBC on Wednesday, includes testimonies from 10 women, with nine speaking publicly for the first time. The women alleged they encountered Leto between 2002 and 2016, when the actor and musician was in his 30s and 40s. He is now 54.
According to the BBC investigation, one woman alleged she was sexually assaulted in a motel bathroom at the age of 17, while another claimed Leto threatened her with sexual assault when she was 19 after she was left alone with him in a hotel room.
A third woman alleged she had sex with the actor in California when she was 17, an allegation that would constitute statutory rape under California law. She claimed Leto dismissed concerns after a discussion about the state’s age of consent.
Another woman alleged Leto made repeated sexually explicit phone calls to her when she was 16 and, on one occasion, suggested they have sex. She also claimed she later received a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) intended to stop her from speaking publicly about their relationship, but refused to sign it. The BBC said it reviewed the document.
The broadcaster said it corroborated several of the women’s accounts through friends and family members they had spoken to at the time, while photographs, messages and other materials also supported parts of their claims.
The documentary also features two former associates of Leto’s band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, who alleged staff members were uncomfortable with the actor’s interactions with teenage girls, including claims that some were invited backstage or to recording locations.
Leto, however, strongly denied all allegations.
In a statement issued through his representatives after the documentary was published, the Academy Award winner said: “I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false.”
The allegations add to previous claims made against the actor. In 2025, Los Angeles DJ Allie Teilz publicly alleged Leto assaulted her when she was 17, prompting other women to share similar experiences. He denied those allegations.
Leto has enjoyed a career spanning more than three decades in film and music. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Dallas Buyers Club in 2014 and has starred in films including Fight Club, Blade Runner 2049 and Suicide Squad, while also leading the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars. According to the BBC, the band is scheduled to tour the UK and mainland Europe next year.
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