Jared Leto denies sexual misconduct allegations in new BBC documentary

Jared Leto has categorically denied allegations of criminal sexual misconduct in a new BBC documentary, which features accounts from four women who claim he engaged in inappropriate behavior when they were teenagers. The documentary, titled *Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret*, premiered on Wednesday and details encounters between 2002 and 2016, during which Leto, then in his 30s and 40s, is accused of sexual assault, statutory rape, and grooming. The actor, 54, issued a statement calling the claims “absolutely and categorically false,” asserting he has “never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life.”

The documentary includes testimonies from 10 women, nine of whom shared their stories publicly for the first time. One woman alleged she was sexually assaulted by Leto in a Las Vegas motel bathroom in 2002 when she was 17. She claimed Leto dismissed concerns about California’s age of consent, telling her to “call me daddy” and “pretend to be a little girl.” Another woman described being left alone in a hotel room with Leto in 2013, where he allegedly threatened to sexually assault her. A third woman said she had sex with Leto at his California home when she was 17, an act classified as statutory rape under state law. She alleged Leto encouraged her to refer to him as “daddy” and that he shrugged off discussions about the age of consent.

A fourth woman claimed Leto groomed her from age 16, making repeated sexually explicit phone calls and suggesting they have sex. She also alleged she was presented with a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to prevent her from discussing the relationship, which she refused to sign. The BBC confirmed it reviewed the NDA and corroborated some accounts with photographs, messages, and testimony from friends and family. Additional women described “strange” and “very sexual” phone calls from Leto during their teenage years, while two former employees of his band Thirty Seconds to Mars alleged discomfort with his interactions with underage fans.

Leto’s denial follows years of allegations, including a 2025 report by *Air Mail* in which nine women accused him of inappropriate behavior, some involving minors. At the time, his representatives called the claims “demonstrably false.” The latest accusations resurfaced after DJ Allie Teilz publicly alleged she was assaulted by Leto in 2012 when she was 17. Her posts prompted other women to share similar experiences, leading the BBC to investigate. Leto did not respond to requests for comment during the documentary’s production.

The documentary highlights a pattern of behavior, with women describing Leto leveraging his celebrity status to exert control over young fans. One woman, identified as “Etta,” claimed Leto invited her to an Oscars party when she was 14 and later sent sexually explicit messages. Another, “Clara,” alleged she had sex with Leto at his home multiple times while underage, with him insisting she call him “daddy.” A former staff member of Thirty Seconds to Mars recounted instances where Leto invited teenage girls backstage or to his recording house, noting colleagues found the age gap “way too big.”

Despite the allegations, no criminal charges have been filed against Leto. The BBC noted it “corroborated a number of the women’s accounts” but emphasized the claims remain unproven in court. Leto, who won an Academy Award in 2014 for *Dallas Buyers Club*, has continued his career in film and music, appearing in *Masters of the Universe* and touring with Thirty Seconds to Mars. His legal team has not commented on the documentary’s claims, which align with previous accusations dating back to 2005, when the *New York Post* reported he “aggressively pursued many” teen models.