Jared Leto’s Past Controversies Resurface Amid New Allegations
Jared Leto is facing intense public scrutiny in the wake of a new BBC documentary, in which 10 women accused the actor and musician of sexual misconduct. As the allegations continue to generate headlines, attention has also shifted to a few of Leto’s past controversies, prompting renewed discussion about his public image and previous conduct.
The recently released documentary, “Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret,” investigates the allegations of sexual misconduct against the Oscar-winning actor and Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman. Several women came forward and detailed their alleged encounters with Leto, which occurred between 2002 and 2016, as The Blast reported.
Former co-workers have come forward to share their experiences with the actor, one of whom claimed, “He’s not a good guy. There’s no soul behind his eyes.” The source, who chose to remain anonymous, said they toured with Leto’s band.
“He was a horrible vibe while working with him, and he made people uncomfortable. It was really hard to talk to him, if he even tried to talk to us,” the insider told Page Six.
Furthermore, the insider claims that people around Leto have previously said he was “very problematic with women,” insinuating that Leto’s alleged behavior was an open secret. “Everyone in the music industry knows there was going to be a day of reckoning for him,” they added.
The ‘Suicide Squad’ Method Acting That Raised Eyebrows
Leto portrayed The Joker in 2016’s “Suicide Squad,” and he reportedly engaged in extreme method acting during its production. At that time, it was widely reported that he gave bizarre gifts to cast members, including a rat, live bullets, a dead hog, used condoms, and sex toys.
Multiple cast members confirmed receiving the strange gifts. Will Smith described the actor as going “full Joker,” and Margot Robbie said they kept the rat as a pet. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje said he got adult magazines. Leto himself bragged about his gifts while promoting the movie.
Many criticized the actor for his on-set behavior, opining he violated boundaries and gave method acting a bad name.
A year later, however, Leto backtracked, saying the “hype and b-llsh-t” was blown out of proportion. “90 percent of it was not even true, and it just takes on a life of its own,” he said.
Jared Leto’s Fan Gatherings Were Called Cultish
Yes, this is a cult 🔺 #MarsIsland pic.twitter.com/4I7JROg90w
— THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS (@30SECONDSTOMARS) August 15, 2019
In 2019, Leto and his band hosted a multi-day, alcohol-free wellness and music retreat on a private island in Croatia. Fans of the actor and Thirty Seconds to Mars, referred to as The Echelon, were treated to yoga, meditation, acoustic performances, and other activities.
Photos of the event were shared online, showing Leto dressed in a flowing white robe surrounded by attendees, all wearing white. The band has long embraced media commentary about their following being cultish and has used the tagline, “Yes, this is a cult,” for years. They launched Camp Mars, a rustic retreat for fans, in 2015, but the 2019 event took it to the next level.
In 2013, Leto addressed the controversy, saying that it was a response to journalists who often said Thirty Seconds To Mars had a deeply committed “cult following.”
Amid the allegations against the actor, Dylan Sprouse’s viral tweet in 2018 is resurfacing. In May that year, the Disney alum took to Twitter and tagged Leto, asking, “Yo @JaredLeto now that you’ve slid into the dm’s of every female model aged 18-25, what would you say your success rate is?”
It isn’t clear what prompted Sprouse to call out Leto, and many came to the latter’s defense, saying that sending messages to women of age was not a crime.
However, filmmaker James Gunn publicly responded to Sprouse’s tweet, writing, “He starts at 18 on the internet?” suggesting the messages were not limited to adults. Gunn later deleted his message.
Leto did not respond to either post.
Jared Leto Denies All The Claims Against Him
Leto has formally responded to the women’s claims in the documentary in a statement sent to several news outlets.
“I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false,” he said.
The BBC documentary isn’t the first time the actor was accused of illicit acts. In 2025, Air Mail published an investigative report that detailed sexual misconduct accounts from nine women.
