Los Angeles, 29 July

Ten women have spoken to the BBC for a documentary about actor and musician Jared Leto, saying that he indulged in sexual misconduct with them when he was in his 30s and 40s between 2002 and 2016, with nine of them speaking out for the first time. 

In the documentary, called ‘Jared Leto: Hollywood's Dark Secret’, four women accused Leto of criminal sexual conduct when they were teenagers. 

One says he sexually assaulted her in a motel bathroom when she was 17, while another says he threatened her with sexual assault when they were alone in a hotel room together when she was 19. A third said he had sex with her when she was 17, adding that he “shrugged off” the fact that the age of consent was 18. The fourth woman said he made sexually explicit phone calls to her, suggesting that they have sexual intercourse on at least one occasion, when she was 16. 

Four other women have also said that he made strange and often sexually explicit phone calls to them when they were teenagers. 

Yet another woman said that he made lewd comments about her chest when she was 14, at an autograph signing event, and reportedly asked security to take her backstage. 

The BBC has corroborated their accounts with friends and family, and also seen pictures and text messages that support some of their accounts.

Leto has not responded to repeated to requests for comment.