The BBC documentary Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret reveals allegations of criminal sexual misconduct against singer and actor Jared Leto. Four women have accused Leto of offenses ranging from sexual assault to grooming. One woman claims Leto sexually assaulted her at 17 in a motel. Another says she had sex with Leto at 17 in California, where the age of consent is 18, and he dismissed concerns about her age. A third woman alleges he threatened her with sexual assault at 19 in a hotel room. The fourth woman accuses him of grooming her at 16, including sexually explicit calls and sexual propositions.
Attempts to contact Leto for comment were unsuccessful. Newsweek reached out by email, and the BBC stated Leto did not respond to repeated inquiries.
BBC Documentary Details
The documentary features accounts from ten women, nine speaking publicly for the first time. The encounters with Leto reportedly occurred between 2002 and 2016, when he was in his 30s and 40s. The BBC verified some women’s claims through family and friends. Isabel, one interviewed woman, recounted meeting Leto at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas in 2002 at 17. She said what she thought was his hotel, was actually a ‘dingy motel’. She reflected on the event as a naive mistake, recognizing she was not to blame.
Other women in the documentary describe encounters with Leto at concerts, after-parties, and through the music and modeling industries, realizing the situations differently as adults.
Jared Leto’s Career
Jared Leto became prominent in the 1990s as an actor. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in Dallas Buyers Club in 2014. His film credits include Fight Club, Blade Runner 2049, and Suicide Squad. Leto is also the frontman of the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars, formed with his brother Shannon Leto in 1998, and the band continues to tour internationally.
Longstanding Allegations
Allegations against Leto have emerged over the years. The BBC found over 120 online claims about Leto’s behavior, dating back to the early 2000s. In 2005, the New York Post reported Leto approached teenage girls and exchanged messages with them in New York. The topic resurfaced in 2025 when Air Mail reported allegations from nine women of Leto’s inappropriate conduct, some involving teenagers. Leto denied those through a representative.
Former Crew Members’ Accounts
The documentary includes statements from two former Thirty Seconds to Mars crew members. They expressed discomfort with the young women entering the band’s environment. A former crew member referred to as ‘Simon’ noted Leto’s frequent communication with young women around the band’s workspaces. Simon described one young girl, appearing very youthful, being dropped off by her parents and the uncomfortable atmosphere after her visit. ‘Brad’, another crew member, mentioned Leto requested female models for VIP tickets on tours, causing concern over the age gap.
Simon reflected that the women’s accounts in recent years echo what he witnessed working with the band. He found the parallels troubled him, as they revived memories of what he had observed.
Absence in Film Promotion
Recently, Leto played the villain Skeletor in Masters of the Universe, a major release from earlier this year. Despite his starring role, his absence from the film’s promotions was notable. This low-profile campaign contrasted with Leto’s previous public visibility as an Oscar-winning actor and band frontman.