Jared Leto Denies Allegations After BBC Documentary Details Claims From 10 Women

Thirty Seconds To Mars frontman and Oscar-winning actor Jared Leto has denied allegations of sexual assault and misconduct after a BBC documentary detailed accusations from multiple women, including four alleging criminal sexual conduct when they were teenagers.

by Paul Cashmere

Jared Leto has issued a categorical denial after a BBC investigation and documentary, Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret, featured allegations from 10 women, including four who accused the Thirty Seconds To Mars frontman and Academy Award-winning actor of criminal sexual conduct during encounters that allegedly took place between 2002 and 2016, when Leto was in his 30s and 40s. Hours after the documentary aired, Leto responded through his representatives, stating: “I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false.”

The documentary represents the most comprehensive public examination to date of long-running allegations surrounding Leto’s interactions with young women. While rumours and online accusations have circulated for years, the BBC investigation brings together first-hand accounts from 10 women, nine of whom spoke publicly for the first time, alongside interviews with former members of Leto’s touring circle and supporting material the broadcaster says it independently verified.

Four women made allegations that, if proven, would amount to criminal offences. One woman alleged she was sexually assaulted by Leto in a motel bathroom when she was 17. Another alleged that when she was 19, she was left alone with Leto in a hotel room where he threatened to sexually assault her.

A third woman alleged she had sex with Leto in California when she was 17. Under California law, sexual intercourse with a person below the state’s age of consent of 18 may constitute statutory rape. She claimed that when the issue of age was raised, Leto dismissed the concern.

A fourth woman alleged Leto groomed her when she was 16 through repeated sexually explicit telephone conversations and suggested they have sex. She also told the BBC she later received a non-disclosure agreement intended to prevent her speaking publicly about her relationship with him. According to the documentary, she refused to sign the agreement. The BBC said it had reviewed a copy of the document.

The documentary also includes accounts from four additional women who alleged they received sexually explicit or otherwise inappropriate telephone calls from Leto while they were young. Another woman alleged that at the age of 14 she was singled out during an autograph session at a music festival after Leto allegedly made a sexual remark about her chest and instructed security staff to escort her backstage. According to her account, her mother confronted Leto, who allegedly repeated the comment.

The BBC said it corroborated aspects of several women’s accounts through family members and friends who were told about the alleged incidents at the time. It also said photographs, messages and other material supported portions of some accounts.

Two men who worked with Thirty Seconds To Mars over an extended period also appeared in the documentary. They alleged that members of the band’s touring team were uncomfortable with the singer’s interactions with teenage girls, including claims that some were invited backstage or to recording locations. One former associate said: “I think everyone thought the age gap was way too big.”

According to the BBC, repeated attempts were made to obtain a response from Leto before publication, but none was received before the documentary was released. Following its broadcast, Leto issued his statement denying every allegation of sexual assault.

The allegations did not emerge in isolation. Claims regarding Leto’s conduct with young women have circulated online for years, with the BBC reporting that it identified more than 120 separate online allegations relating to his behaviour, many dating back decades. Most were never formally investigated or tested in court.

Public attention intensified in 2025 when American DJ Allie Teilz publicly repeated allegations that Leto assaulted her when she was 17. Her social media posts prompted other women to come forward with similar claims. Around the same period, Air Mail published an investigation featuring accusations from nine women alleging inappropriate sexual behaviour by Leto over a number of years. Through his representatives, Leto denied those allegations, describing them as false.

The new BBC documentary builds upon those earlier claims with additional interviews and evidence that the broadcaster says it independently examined. None of the allegations contained in the documentary have been proven in court, and Leto has denied any sexual assault or criminal misconduct.

Leto remains one of Hollywood’s most recognisable actors while continuing to front Thirty Seconds To Mars, the band he formed in 1998. Alongside a film career that includes an Academy Award for Dallas Buyers Club and roles in Fight Club, Blade Runner 2049, Suicide Squad and the forthcoming Masters Of The Universe, he has continued to tour internationally with Thirty Seconds To Mars, whose catalogue includes hits such as “The Kill”, “Kings And Queens” and “This Is War”.

The BBC documentary has placed renewed attention on allegations that have followed Leto for many years while also prompting his strongest public denial to date. Whether further legal action, additional investigations or new allegations emerge remains unclear. At present, the allegations remain contested, with Leto categorically rejecting the claims made against him.