Women describe encounters spanning more than a decade as actor has not responded to latest claims
LONDON: A BBC documentary has aired allegations of sexual misconduct against Oscar-winning actor and Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto, with 10 women recounting encounters they say occurred between 2002 and 2016.
According to the documentary, four women allege conduct that, if proven, could amount to criminal offences. Their accounts include allegations of sexual assault, statutory rape, grooming and sexually explicit communications while they were teenagers. Several other women also described receiving inappropriate phone calls or experiencing interactions they considered disturbing.
The BBC said it corroborated parts of several accounts through friends, family members, text messages, photographs and other contemporaneous material. However, many of the allegations remain unverified and have not been tested in court.
Crew members also raise concerns
The documentary also includes interviews with two former members of the band’s crew, who alleged they felt uncomfortable with interactions between Leto and teenage girls at concerts and backstage events.
One former crew member claimed staff were instructed to invite young female models backstage, while another described teenage girls frequently visiting locations where the band was working. These accounts represent the interviewees’ allegations and have not been independently verified.
No response to latest allegations
The BBC said it repeatedly contacted Leto regarding the allegations but did not receive a response before publication.
The documentary also references previous allegations made against the actor in recent years. Leto has previously denied similar allegations published by other media outlets.
Leto, 54, is an Academy Award-winning actor known for films including Dallas Buyers Club, Fight Club, Blade Runner 2049 and Suicide Squad. He also fronts the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars.
The allegations contained in the BBC documentary remain unproven, and no criminal convictions or court findings relating to the claims described in the programme were reported.:::
