In recent weeks, several women have come forward accusing Jared Leto, the actor known for his roles in “American Psycho” and “Fight Club,” of exhibiting predatory, terrifying, and unacceptable behavior. Alarmingly, some of the alleged incidents occurred when the women were minors. This situation is gaining attention, especially following a report by Air Mail, which was further highlighted by The Guardian.
According to these accounts, Leto has behaved as a predator for years. One of the accusers recounted an encounter from 2006, when she was only 16 years old, where Leto approached her in a cafe in Los Angeles and allegedly grabbed her arm. “I looked down, and it was Jared Leto,” she described her shock in an interview with Air Mail. “We had a quick conversation, and he got my number.”
“I don’t know if he was high or what… It was the weirdest, most grotesque voice… But for me, he’s Jared, you understand?”
She proceeded to share that Leto continued to contact her, often calling late at night. The conversations reportedly took a sexual turn, which led her to feel uncomfortable and isolated in a world she believed was filled with celebrities to be admired.
“He Knew My Age”
Another woman, model Laura La Rue, shared a similar experience from 2008, also at the tender age of 16. During a party in Beverly Hills, Leto allegedly fixated on her intensely. “I remember he kept teasing me the whole time I was there,” she noted. “He flirted with me, getting closer and then pulling away as if it were a game.” In a disturbing turn of events, Leto reportedly exposed himself to her on another occasion, a claim that adds to the mounting allegations against him.
Many other women have voiced similar experiences, signaling that Leto’s behavior was somewhat of an open secret in Hollywood. DJ Allie Teilz recently reposted a Facebook post from 2012, in which she characterized Leto’s demeanor as alarming. She wrote:
“You’re not really in L.A. until Jared Leto has tried to grab your hand backstage at an M83 concert, wearing a kilt and hat.”
She further labeled him as a “creepy guy” and “the most relentless predator in Hollywood wearing a kilt.” Her harrowing story of assault, which occurred when she was only 17, reiterated the pattern of Leto’s predatory behavior, emphasizing that he was well aware of her age yet chose to disregard it. “What he did was predatory, terrifying, and unacceptable,” she recounted.
“Young Top Models”
In April, The Daily Mail published an article detailing Leto’s troubling behavior, where talk-show host Alex Jones described him as “self-absorbed.” She remarked, “Okay, you can be a great star and have made all these films, but it doesn’t cost anything to be polite and kind.” This sentiment reflects a growing frustration within the industry concerning the lack of accountability for high-profile figures.
Accusations have also come from former Disney star Dylan Sprouse, who called out Leto for allegedly flirting with young models on social media. “Yo @JaredLeto now that you’ve slid into the DMs of all the models aged 18 to 25, what’s your success rate?” he tweeted, prompting a cynical response from director James Gunn, who remarked that Leto’s interest seemed to start at 18 online.
Although Leto has not publicly addressed these allegations, his agent has “expressly denied” the claims made by the witnesses reported by Air Mail. The significant number of allegations, however, raises serious concerns and has sparked a necessary dialogue about the treatment of women in the entertainment industry, particularly regarding accusations of predatory behavior toward minors.