SHOWBIZ: American artiste Jared Leto accused of sexual impropriety by 9 women
LOS ANGELES: Nine women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against actor and musician Jared Leto, describing his behaviour as "predatory, terrifying, and unacceptable," according to a recent investigative report published by Air Mail.
The report details accounts spanning years, with multiple women accusing the 53-year-old of inappropriate behaviour, including sexually suggestive communication with minors and unwelcome advances.
One woman told Air Mail that in 2006, when she was 16, Leto approached her outside a Los Angeles café. He was sitting with then-19-year-old actress Ashley Olsen at the time. The woman claimed Leto grabbed her arm and initiated a brief conversation before asking for her phone number.
"He called a few days later," she recalled. "I don't know if he was on drugs or what… It was the weirdest, grossest voice… [But] for me, it's Jared, you know?"
She said Leto invited her to a party at his house, but she declined. Despite her refusal, she claimed he continued calling her late at night.
"The conversations turned sexual. He'd ask things like: 'Have you ever had a boyfriend?'"
Model Laura La Rue recounted a similar encounter from 2008, when she was also 16. At a private event in Beverly Hills, she said Leto watched her "so intensely" that it made her uncomfortable.
Another woman said she began texting with Leto while underage. During visits to his home, she claimed he asked her sexually inappropriate questions.
Allie Teilz, a DJ and music producer based in Los Angeles, resurfaced a 2012 Facebook post via Instagram last month in which she wrote: "You're not really in LA until Jared Leto tries to force himself on you backstage… In a kilt.. And a snow hat," Air Mail reported.
A representative for Leto has "expressly denied" the various women's accusations reported in Air Mail, including Teilz's, which the representative said were "demonstrably false".
Leto himself has yet to comment on the allegations.
The frontman of the rock band Thirty Seconds to Mars won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2014 for his work in the biographical drama, Dallas Buyers Club.
His other acting credits include House of Gucci, Blade Runner 2049, Morbius, and Fight Club.
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