American actor and musician Jared Leto has denied allegations of criminal sexual conduct involving four women, some of whom say the alleged incidents occurred while they were teenagers.
The claims feature in a BBC documentary examining allegations made against the 54-year-old Oscar-winning actor and Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman. The incidents are alleged to have taken place between 2002 and 2016, when Leto was in his 30s and 40s.
One woman alleges that Leto assaulted her in a motel bathroom when she was 17. A second woman claims he threatened her with sexual assault when she was 19 after she unexpectedly found herself alone with him in a hotel room.
Another woman alleges she had sex with Leto in California when she was 17, which would fall below the state’s age of consent of 18. She claims Leto “shrugged off” a discussion about the legal age of consent.
A fourth woman alleges Leto repeatedly made sexually explicit phone calls to her when she was 16 and, on at least one occasion, suggested that they should have sex.
She later received a non-disclosure agreement intended to prevent her from discussing her relationship with Leto, according to the BBC, which said it had reviewed the document. She declined to sign it.
The broadcaster said it had made repeated attempts to contact Leto about the allegations but initially received no response.
Several hours after the documentary was released, a spokesperson issued a statement on Leto’s behalf denying the claims.
“I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false.”
The documentary, “Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret,” is released on Wednesday and includes allegations from 10 women who accuse Leto of sexually inappropriate behaviour. Nine of them are speaking publicly about their experiences for the first time, according to the BBC.
The broadcaster said it had corroborated “a number of the women’s accounts with friends and family who were told about the encounters with Leto at the time”. It also said that, in some cases, photographs and messages it reviewed appeared to “support the women’s accounts”.
Two people who previously worked with Leto’s band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, also appear in the documentary and describe concerns among staff over his behaviour.
They allege he sometimes invited teenage girls backstage to his dressing room or to the property where he was recording music.
Leto has been a prominent figure in Hollywood since the 1990s, with early roles in films including “Fight Club,” “The Thin Red Line” and “Girl, Interrupted.”
He later won an Academy Award for his performance in “Dallas Buyers Club” and went on to appear in major productions including “Suicide Squad,” “Blade Runner 2049 ” and “Masters of the Universe.”
Alongside his acting career, Leto has fronted Thirty Seconds to Mars since the band was formed in 1998. The group is known for songs including “The Kill,” “Kings and Queens” and “This Is War,” and is currently touring Europe, with performances in London and Manchester scheduled for next year.
The latest claims follow previous allegations made against Leto. Last year, American DJ Allie Teilz alleged on social media that he assaulted her when she was 17.
Separately, nine women accused him of inappropriate behaviour in a report published by Air Mail. Leto denied those allegations.
