Four women have accused 30 Seconds to Mars singer, Jared Leto, of carrying out criminal sexual conduct against them while they were teenagers, and he was in his twenties and thirties. They claim the offences took place between a 14-year period, starting in 2002.
As part of a new investigation, the BBC claims it has counted over 120 allegations made against Leto online, in addition to the four women willing to go on record.
One woman claims Leto sexually assaulted her in a motel bathroom when she was 17, while another said she was 19 when Leto threatened to sexually assault her when she found herself alone in a hotel room with him. The woman says she went to the room expecting there to be other people around, realised her phone had died and she had no money, so asked if she could sleep on a sofa in the room. She claims Leto told her if she did she would "[wake up] with a dick in her ass".
A third woman claims Leto had sex with her when she was 17, which, in the state of California where she alleges the encounter took place, is classed as statutory rape. This third woman claims the singer "shrugged off" a conversation about the age of consent, appearing unphased, and said Leto requested she call him 'daddy' and "pretend to be a little girl".
She adds, "There is no well-adjusted man in his thirties who's going to look at a teenager and think… she would be a great partner."
A fourth woman alleges Leto groped her at the age of 16 and would make sexually explicit remarks and requests during repeat phone calls.
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The allegations have come to light as part of a BBC investigation, in which the broadcaster also spoke with friends and family members to corroborate the women's stories. The BBC also spoke with men who worked with Leto – one of whom commented about seeing young women in his dressing room on more than one occasion, "I think everyone thought the age gap was way too big."
When Cosmopolitan reached out, Leto's team shared the following statement: "I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false."
Last year, Leto was accused of sexual impropriety by nine women (with one claiming he exposed his penis to her when she was 17) and denied all allegations, saying they were "demonstrably false".
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
