4 women accuse actor-singer Jared Leto of sexual assault
What's the story
Four women have accused actor-singer Jared Leto of criminal sexual conduct. The alleged incidents occurred when the women were teenagers. The accusations include sexual assault, statutory rape, and grooming by Leto, who is now 54. All the allegations have emerged from a new BBC documentary titled Jared Leto: Hollywood's Dark Secret.
Allegations
One woman said he had underage sex with her
One woman said she was assaulted in a motel bathroom at 17; another claimed he threatened her with sexual assault at 19.
A third alleged she had sex with Leto in California at 17, which is statutory rape.
The fourth said he repeatedly made sexually explicit phone calls to her when she was 16, suggesting they should have sex. She was later sent a non-disclosure agreement to prevent her from discussing her relationship with Leto, but refused to sign it.
Additional allegations
Other women received strange sexual phone calls from Leto
The BBC reported that four more women have also spoken about receiving strange and often sexual phone calls from Leto when they were younger.
One woman said the Oscar-winning actor instructed a security guard to take her backstage at a music festival when she was 14, after making a lewd comment about her chest during an autograph-signing.
The girl's mother confronted Leto, but he allegedly repeated the comment.
Evidence
'BBC' corroborated several women's accounts with friends, family
The BBC has corroborated several of the women's accounts with friends and family who were told about their encounters with Leto at the time.
In some instances, they have also seen pictures and messages that support the women's claims.
Two men who worked with Leto's band Thirty Seconds to Mars for many years also spoke about how uncomfortable staff felt about his interactions with teenage girls.
History of allegations
Allegations against Leto have lingered for decades
Allegations against Leto have lingered for decades. The BBC has found over 120 separate online allegations about his behavior toward women, some historical.
Last year, a Los Angeles DJ named Allie Teilz accused him of assaulting her when she was 17, leading to several other women coming forward with similar claims.
Nine women also accused Leto of sexual impropriety in an article by US media outlet Air Mail last year.
Career overview
'Suicide Squad' actor's career
Leto, who won the 2014 Academy Award for best supporting actor for Dallas Buyers Club, has appeared in several hit films such as Fight Club, Blade Runner 2049, and Suicide Squad.
He has also been a prominent actor since the 1990s and recently featured in Masters of the Universe.
Leto has not responded to these allegations as of now.