Actor Jared Leto accused of sexual misconduct by nine women
American actor and musician Jared Leto, who starred in films such as The Suicide Squad (2016) and House Of Gucci (2021), has been accused of sexual assault by nine women as young as 16 at the time of the alleged incidents.
These accusations stretch over two decades, in which Leto, 53, is said to have continued to engage with the women.
The accusations resurfaced when Los Angeles-based DJ Allie Teilz, 30, reposted one of her Facebook posts from 2012, in which she alleged that Leto had assaulted her when she was 17.
She wrote: 'You're not really in Los Angeles until Jared Leto tries to force himself on you backstage… I was assaulted and traumatised by this creep when I was 17.'
She described his actions as 'predatory, terrifying and unacceptable', as Leto 'knew her age', but claimed he 'did not care'.
A second anonymous victim alleged that Leto approached her at a cafe in Los Angeles in 2006 when she was 16, according to a report by US-based newsletter Air Mail.
Leto was said to have struck up a 'quick conversation' with the girl and got her number. According to the woman, their late-night conversations 'turned sexual'.
Former model Laura La Rue, 33, also claimed that Leto had 'flirted' with her and 'teased' her when he invited her to his Los Angeles home after they had met at an animal rights benefit when she was 16.
During a separate visit, Leto walked out of a room completely naked in front of her, claimed La Rue, who was 17 at that time.
'He just walked out... like it was normal… I thought maybe this was just what adult men do,' La Rue told Air Mail.
Leto's representative denied La Rue's claims, stating: 'Their communications contain nothing sexual or inappropriate and Ms La Rue later applied to work as Mr Leto's personal assistant, further underscoring the absence of anything inappropriate in any of their interactions.'
Though Leto's representative has 'expressly denied' the allegations, the actor has yet to respond to them.
Leto, who made his acting debut in the television series Camp Wilder in 1992, won a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for playing a transgender woman in the biographical drama Dallas Buyers Club (2013).
In 2024, he performed at the Formula One Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix as the lead singer of rock band Thirty Seconds To Mars, which he co-founded with his brother Shannon Leto in 1998.
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
International Business Times
4 hours ago
- International Business Times
Car Bursts into Flames on Bukit Timah Road; SMRT Bus Driver Attempts to Extinguish Fire
A car caught fire in Bukit Timah Road on Sunday, August 17, while a bus driver was seen trying to put the flames out. The Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF) responded to inquiries by stating that it was informed about the fire at approximately 5:00 pm. A water jet and hose reel were used to put out the fire, which was located in the engine compartment of the vehicle. The cause of the fire is being investigated, and no one was hurt. A SMRT bus driver was seen using a fire extinguisher to try to extinguish the flames consuming the bonnet of a white car in a video shared on the Facebook group Singapore Incidents. In the meantime, a different video was posted on the Facebook page of Singapore Roads that showed multiple firefighters using their tools to put out the fire. In 2025, at least a dozen car fires have been reported. Vehicle fires increased from 215 in 2023 to 220 in 2024, according to the SCDF's annual fire statistics report, which was made public on February 13. Engine electrical problems and ignition sources like overheating were identified as the main causes of these fires.
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Straits Times
US FTC sues ticket reseller for evading Taylor Swift's Eras tour ticket limits
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox For one Taylor Swift concert, Key Investment Group used 49 different accounts to purchase 273 tickets and evade a 6-ticket purchase limit. WASHINGTON - The US Federal Trade Commission sued ticket reseller Key Investment Group for evading purchasing limits to buy up thousands of tickets to live events including Taylor Swift's Eras tour and resell them at a markup, according to a complaint filed in Maryland federal court on Aug 18. The Baltimore, Maryland-based company, which operates ticket resale sites including used thousands of Ticketmaster accounts, including fake or purchased accounts, the FTC said. Ticketmaster faced intense criticism after its botched 2022 sale of tickets to Swift's much-hyped New Eras Tour , when billions of requests from Swift fans, bots and ticket resellers overwhelmed its website and the company canceled a planned ticket sale to the general public. For one Swift concert, Key Investment Group used 49 different accounts to purchase 273 tickets and evade a 6-ticket purchase limit, the FTC said on Aug 18. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in a statement that the lawsuit puts ticket sellers on notice that the agency will go after those who circumvent ticketing platforms' limits on ticket sales. The lawsuit is part of a crackdown President Donald Trump announced in March focused on curbing exploitative ticket reselling practices that raise costs for fans. Key Investment Group sued the FTC in July to block its investigation, saying that its ticket purchases did not use automated software, or bots, and did not violate the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act. The FTC has made it clear that 'they intend to use the BOTS Act to shut down the entire secondary-ticket market,' the company said in its lawsuit. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Jobs, infrastructure and homes at the core of Singapore's resilience: Economists Business New online tools by SkillsFuture Singapore help companies plan and curate staff training Life Chinese EV brand Nio to be launched in Singapore in first quarter of 2026 Asia 2 firefighters die in building fire at Osaka's Dotonbori tourist district Singapore Driver hurt after car turns turtle in Upper Thomson accident Sport National tennis player Shaheed Alam serves up charity event to benefit migrant workers Life New Blackpink album scheduled for November, YG Entertainment confirms Singapore Jail for driver of 11-tonne garbage truck that ran over cyclist in Woodlands The agency on Aug 18 accused Key Investment Group and three of its executives of violating the BOTS Act as well as the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair and deceptive business practices. Ticketmaster and its parent company, Live Nation Entertainment, are facing a lawsuit brought by US antitrust enforcers accusing the company of monopolising markets across the live concert industry. REUTERS
Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Straits Times
Social media hit Ilona Maher takes women's rugby to a new plane
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Ilona Maher of the United States running with the ball against Setaita Railumu of Fiji during a rugby international at Audi Field on July 19. PARIS – Ilona Maher transcends women's rugby, giving it a profile outside of the sport in the way that Mia Hamm did for women's football. Now the stage is set at the Women's Rugby World Cup in England for the American to spark even more interest. The 29-year-old phenomenon has attracted over eight million followers on social media, not only through her sporting exploits but also for her promotion of body positivity. She played a pivotal role in the US women's team winning a first-ever Olympic medal, beating Australia in the third-place play-off at Paris 2024. On the back of that achievement, Maher featured in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition and appeared in the US version of hit TV show Dancing With The Stars, finishing as runner-up. The Maher-fuelled improvement of the US team attracted the attention of American investor Michele Kang, who donated US$4 million (S$5.1 million) to help develop the USA Women's Rugby Sevens Team over four years. In another sport, Kang owns the Lyon women's football team, the eight-time European champions. Maher's days in Paris were not just spent playing rugby but also attracting even more followers with her pithy social media posts. She compared life in the Athletes' Village to a reality TV show, in one humorous posting saying she was there 'looking for love', to which her friend replies: 'No you are here to play rugby.' In more reflective mode in Paris, she told the Bleacher Report one of her goals was trying to reassure 'girls' that playing sport did not take away their 'girliness'. 'What we're trying to show is the beauty that in sports you can be a badass on the field, you can be a beast on the field, but also be a beauty,' she said. 'It's really important for me because I want girls to see what their body is capable of. 'It's not just to be looked at, objectified, but it's strong and it's fast and it's brilliant.' Maher, who through her body positivity push has become a brand ambassador for a deodorant and a skincare product she co-founded, revels in her global popularity and being 'America's sweetheart'. 'I love when people call me that because I feel like I'm maybe not the image you would have of a sweetheart in some sense of the word,' Maher told CNN in January. 'I'm honoured.' Maher, who hails from Vermont, may be extroverted and cheerful but she keeps her ego in check by showing appreciation to women sports stars who paved the way for her. Hamm, her fellow American and a groundbreaking football superstar of the 1990s and early noughties, a two-time Olympic and World Cup winner, features high on the list. 'I remember in our gym we always had a poster of Mia Hamm and that was always cool to look up to her,' Maher told the Bleacher Report. Closer to home, though, she is part of a tight-knit family unit, with her father Michael, a keen rugby player who introduced her to the sport, Netherlands-born mum Mieneke and sisters Olivia and Adrianna. Elder sister Olivia has a considerable social media presence herself. From her father Ilona not only learned about rugby but also a crucial life lesson when he defended her at a softball event. One of the other dads complained that Maher's pitches were unhittable but he was put in his place by Maher senior. 'I think that was the first moment of being told to never tone it down,' she told CNN. 'Because that dad over there… wanted me to tone myself down so that it could be easier for (his daughter). 'But that's not the world, is it? The world isn't going to tone down for you.' Instead Maher has upped the ante and the fruits for women's rugby have been plentiful as New Zealand legend Portia Woodman-Wickliffe told AFP. 'Having someone from America with that American market who is very confident, loves rugby, loves supporting women's bodies, someone as vocal as that is amazing for us,' Woodman-Wickliffe said. 'We need to capitalise and follow her as much as we can.' AFP
