In brief
A BBC documentary presents accounts from four women who accuse Jared Leto of sexual misconduct when they were underage, alleging assaults, threats and statutory rape. The claims span motel bathrooms, hotel rooms, the actor’s California home and backstage encounters. Supporting evidence includes texts, photographs and corroboration from friends and former band members. Leto has not responded to the allegations, which have resurfaced amid an ongoing debate over celebrity abuse.
Four women accuse Jared Leto of criminal sexual conduct
On 29 July 2026 the BBC released a documentary in which four women tell the story of alleged sexual assaults they endured from the Oscar‑winning actor and frontman of Thirty Seconds to Mars. The victims, who ranged from 14 to 19 years old at the time, say the encounters occurred between 2002 and 2016 when Leto was in his 30s and 40s.
One woman reports a 17‑year‑old assault in a motel bathroom; another claims the star threatened her with sexual coercion while alone in a hotel room. A third admits she had under‑age sex with Leto in California, dismissing the age of consent as an afterthought. The fourth alleges repeated, sexually explicit phone calls and a request to have sex when she was only 16, and that he had sent her a non‑disclosure agreement which she refused to sign.
Additional survivors mention other incidents: a 14‑year‑old model invited to a backstage area by Leto’s bodyguard and subjected to lewd remarks, and a 16‑year‑old who received explicit questions about her virginity and kinks during a phone call that escalated into sexual content. Ex‑band members confirmed that the actor’s behaviour towards teenage girls was uncomfortable and that many had been invited to backstage spaces to meet him.
The documentary interviews nine women who have now spoken publicly. In many cases, the BBC has verified claims with photographs, text messages, and statements from friends and family. No response has yet emerged from Leto following the scrutiny.
The allegations are part of a wider history of accusations against the actor, with over 120 claims documented in online forums. Last year a social‑media post by a Los Angeles DJ reignited the conversation, prompting other women to confront similar allegations. Leto’s name appears in a 2025 article by US outlet Air Mail, to which he denied all accusations.
The BBC encourages anyone affected by the issues raised to seek support via the BBC Action Line.
