Oscar-winning actor and Thirty Seconds To Mars frontman Jared Leto has responded to allegations of sexual misconduct from four women, made in the new BBC documentary 'Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret'. The documentary is currently airing on BBC iPlayer.
The women claim the alleged incidents, which include accusations of sexual assault, statutory rape, and grooming, occurred between 2002 and 2016 when they were between 16 and 18 years old, and Leto was in his 30s and 40s.
In a statement released hours after the documentary aired, Leto said: “I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false.”
The documentary reportedly features 10 women accusing Leto of sexual misconduct. One woman claimed sexual assault in a motel bathroom at 17, while another alleged a threat of sexual assault at 19. A third woman accused Leto of statutory rape, claiming he "shrugged off" a discussion about California's age of consent. Another woman accused him of grooming and sending sexually explicit phone calls when she was 16, and reportedly refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement sent by Leto.
Leto was also previously accused of sexual misconduct by nine women last year, with representatives for the singer "expressly denied" those claims at the time.