Actor and musician Jared Leto is facing accusations of criminal sexual misconduct from four women, who allege the offenses occurred when they were teenagers. Leto, 54, has denied the claims, stating, "I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false."

The allegations, detailed in a BBC documentary and previously reported by Air Mail, span incidents between 2002 and 2016, a period when Leto was in his 30s and 40s. The women claim that Leto, who was once dubbed a "Hollywood heartthrob," engaged in "bizarre antics" and used his celebrity status to pursue them.

One accuser stated she was sexually assaulted in a motel bathroom at age 17. Another alleged that Leto threatened her with sexual assault when she was 19 and left her alone with him in a hotel room. A third accuser detailed under-age sexual encounters in California when she was 17, which would constitute statutory rape under US law. This accuser also claims Leto "shrugged off" a conversation about the age of consent being 18 in California. The fourth woman accused Leto of grooming, alleging repeated sexually explicit phone calls when she was 16, with one instance suggesting sexual activity.

This fourth accuser also reportedly received a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) which she declined to sign. Other allegations include strange and sexual phone calls received by women when they were younger. In one instance, a woman claimed that at age 14, Leto instructed a security guard to escort her backstage at a music festival after making a lewd comment about her chest during an autograph signing. The woman's mother reportedly confronted Leto, who allegedly repeated the comment.

Leto's career has seen significant highs, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2014 for his role as Rayon in "Dallas Buyers Club." He also achieved success as the frontman for the band Thirty Seconds to Mars. His past acting roles include "Fight Club," "American Psycho," and "Suicide Squad."

However, Leto's behavior has also drawn public scrutiny. During the filming of "Suicide Squad" in 2016, his method acting reportedly involved sending disturbing gifts, such as used condoms and a dead pig, to his co-stars. Margot Robbie, who played Harley Quinn, received a live rat. Leto himself commented on his actions, stating he did "a lot of things to create a dynamic" and "an element of surprise, spontaneity."

Further controversy arose around his band's "summer camps" or "spiritual retreats" held on a private island in Croatia. These events, which could cost over $6,000 to attend, were widely compared to cults, with participants and Leto often dressed in white attire. Leto's fashion sense also became a topic of discussion, marked by increasingly eccentric outfits, including mesh tank tops, capes, and skirts over pants.

In recent years, Leto's film choices have included "House of Gucci," "Morbius," "Haunted Mansion," and "Tron: Ares," with several of these films underperforming at the box office. In 2023, he scaled the Empire State Building to promote his band's tour, an act that some critics labeled as an "attention-seeking" stunt.

While Leto's upcoming film roles and concert tours are reportedly still scheduled, these new allegations add to a pattern of behavior that has led to him being labeled an "attention seeker" and "cult leader."