Washington DC [US], July 29 (ANI): Actor and musician Jared Leto has been accused of criminal sexual conduct by four women who allege the incidents occurred when they were teenagers, according to a new BBC documentary featuring allegations from 10 women, nine of whom are speaking publicly for the first time, according to Variety.
According to the documentary, ‘Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret, which airs on Wednesday, a total of 10 women have come forward with allegations against the Oscar-winning actor.
One woman alleged that Leto assaulted her in a motel bathroom when she was 17. Another claimed the actor threatened her with sexual assault when she was 19. A third woman alleged that she had sex with Leto in California when she was 17, below the state’s age of consent, and claimed the actor “shrugged off” a conversation about the legal age being 18. A fourth woman alleged that Leto made repeated sexually explicit phone calls to her when she was 16 and, on at least one occasion, suggested they should have sex, as per the outlet.
The BBC reported that it had seen a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that the fourth woman was allegedly asked to sign to prevent her from discussing her relationship with Leto. She refused to sign it.
All the women featured in ‘Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret’ alleged that their interactions with Leto took place between 2002 and 2016, when the actor, now 54, was in his 30s and 40s.
“This was 25 years ago… he has gotten away with it,” one of the alleged victims said in the documentary.
According to the BBC, it corroborated “a number of the women’s accounts with friends and family who were told about the encounters with Leto at the time.” The broadcaster also said that, in some cases, it reviewed photographs and messages that “support the women’s accounts,” according to Variety.
The documentary also features two former staff members associated with Leto’s band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, who alleged that employees were uncomfortable with the way the actor interacted with teenage girls. They claimed Leto would sometimes invite them backstage to his dressing room or to the house where he was recording.
“I think everyone thought the age gap was way too big,” one of the former staff members said.
The documentary follows earlier allegations made against Leto. Last year, Los Angeles DJ Allie Teilz publicly accused the actor of sexually assaulting her when she was 17, alleging that the incident left her traumatised. Her claims prompted several other women to come forward with similar allegations, according to Variety.
Leto has not been charged with any crime in connection with the allegations described in the documentary. The allegations have not been proven in court, and he has denied previous accusations of inappropriate conduct, according to Variety. (ANI)
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