Jared Leto Denies Assault Claims in BBC Documentary

Jared Leto has denied allegations of sexual misconduct made by four women in a new BBC documentary, saying he has "never sexually assaulted anyone."

"I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false," Leto, 54, said Wednesday in a statement to The Associated Press.

The documentary, "Jared Leto: Hollywood's Dark Secret," released Wednesday, details allegations from four women who say the actor engaged in sexual misconduct and assault between 2002 and 2016, when they were teenagers and Leto was an adult.

One woman said she was 17 when she was sexually assaulted. Another accused Leto of statutory rape, saying she was also 17 at the time. A third said she was 19 when Leto threatened her with sexual assault, and a fourth said she was 16 when Leto made sexually explicit phone calls and propositioned her.

The BBC said it corroborated the women's accounts. The AP said it could not independently verify them. The documentary does not identify the women by their full names.

The BBC said Leto did not respond to its attempts to seek comment for the documentary. The AP sent an emailed request for comment to the BBC on Wednesday seeking a response to Leto's denial.

Leto was also accused of misconduct by nine women who spoke to Air Mail for a story published last year. A representative for Leto denied those allegations at the time.

Leto won an Academy Award for best supporting actor for "Dallas Buyers Club" and is the frontman of the band Thirty Seconds to Mars. He recently starred as Skeletor in "Masters of the Universe."