A new BBC documentary is putting Jared Leto back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Four women, using the pseudonyms Clara, Isabel, Alex, and Etta, have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct that they say happened when they were teenagers. Leto, the Oscar-winning actor and frontman of Thirty Seconds to Mars, has denied all claims in a statement, calling them“absolutely and categorically false.”
The documentary has also resurfaced interest in Leto’s 2019 wellness retreat on a private Croatian island. The event, called Mars Island, cost attendees $6,499 for an alcohol-free experience that featured chanting, meditation, and fans dressed in white listening to Leto speak. Photos from the event show followers standing with arms raised on a cliff below him, and the band famously leaned into the comparison by selling merchandise that read“This is a Cult.”At the time, it seemed like clever marketing. Now, with serious allegations on the table, the whole thing feels a lot darker.
Leto also made headlines in 2016 for admitting he sent used condoms and anal beads to his“Suicide Squad”co-stars Margot Robbie and Will Smith as part of his method acting process. He said he did it“to break down any walls that may be there.”The new allegations and the resurfaced stories have many fans rethinking the line between artistic persona and troubling behavior. What do you think: was the Mars Island retreat just a weird fan event or something more concerning?
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Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
