Fresh calls for the cancellation of two major Thirty Seconds to Mars arena shows in the UK are gaining traction, after women’s safety and anti-violence organizations added their voices to demands over serious sexual assault and grooming allegations against frontman Jared Leto. Leto, 54, who is also a well-known Hollywood actor, has forcefully denied all claims against him, but the accusations have sparked fierce debate over how the live events industry should handle high-profile performers facing criminal sexual misconduct allegations.
The allegations first came to light in a recent BBC investigation and accompanying documentary *Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret*, which shared testimony from 10 women who say they were subjected to inappropriate behavior by Leto between 2002 and 2016. At the time of the alleged incidents, all four of the women who spoke on the record were teenagers, while Leto was in his 30s and 40s. Nine of the 10 accusers have spoken publicly about their experiences for the first time through the investigation.
One of the accusers, a former model named Alex, detailed a 2013 encounter at London’s O2 Arena that she says was pre-planned to put her in a vulnerable position. Alex, who was 19 at the time, told producers she intentionally claimed to be 17 to deter unwanted advances from Leto, who was 41 then. She said Leto responded by dismissing her age, telling her “Age is just a number, and anyway, we’re in Europe.” Later, after being encouraged to attend a private after-party at a nearby hotel, Alex arrived to find Leto alone. When she asked if she could rest on the room’s chaise longue, Alex says Leto made a graphic sexual remark that left her feeling threatened. She now believes the entire encounter was coordinated.
The investigation also included testimony from two long-time crew members who worked with the band, both of whom described feeling deeply uncomfortable with Leto’s pattern of interactions with teenage girls. One former staff member alleged that crew were regularly told to invite young female fans backstage after they joined Leto on stage during performances. A second claimed that, during a period when the band was working at a residential recording location, Leto would typically meet with two different young girls at the house every day.
The US rock band, which was co-founded by Leto and his brother Shannon in the late 1990s, rose to global fame with hit tracks including *The Kill*, *This Is War* and *Kings And Queens*, and has headlined major arenas across the world for more than two decades. Despite the serious allegations, the band’s scheduled 2025 shows at London’s O2 Arena and Manchester’s Co-op Live — two of the UK’s largest indoor venues — are still listed as going ahead, and tickets remain on sale to the public.
Two leading UK anti-violence organizations have now publicly called for event organizers to scrap the planned concerts. Women’s Aid, a prominent domestic abuse charity, told BBC Newsbeat that it is deeply troubling that the shows are still scheduled to move forward, putting an alleged abuder in the public spotlight. “In light of the very serious allegations of criminal sexual conduct, we would urge organisers to put safety over profit and avoid platforming figures like this,” a spokesperson for the charity said.
Janaya Walker, interim director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition, echoed that call, emphasizing that the decision should prioritize the safety of women and girls over commercial revenue. Walker said that the continued sale of tickets for the shows is deeply worrying, particularly for survivors of gender-based violence. “They’ll be seeing these reports and then seeing that things are moving forward seemingly without any consequence,” she said. “I think that will cause a huge amount of alarm and frustration and anger.”
Walker added that the situation presents a critical test for the live events industry, forcing organizers to examine what message it sends to audiences when it continues to platform performers facing such serious allegations. “That’s the choice that I think is in front of them,” she said.
Prior to the publication of the original BBC investigation, reporters made repeated attempts to contact Leto to get his response to the allegations, and he did not comment at that time. After the story was published, Leto released a statement through his representatives denying all wrongdoing. “I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false,” he said.
BBC Newsbeat has reached out to the tour promoters, the two venue operators, and the band’s representatives for comment on the calls for cancellation, but as of yet has not received any response from any of the parties.
