Jared Leto accused; Glen Hansard dies at 56
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- Jared Leto faces criminal sexual conduct allegations from 4 women — including a 2002 motel bathroom assault on a 17-year-old, a 2013 London threat against a 19-year-old, and California statutory rape — in a BBC documentary featuring 10 accusers totallink ›
- The BBC documented 120+ online allegations and saw an NDA Leto's reps sent to one accuser; two former 30 Seconds to Mars crew members told the network staff were directed to recruit teenage girls for VIP and backstage accesslink ›
- Leto denied the allegations as 'absolutely and categorically false' after publication; his European arena tour and Masters of the Universe film role are unaffected and he did not respond to the BBC's pre-publication outreachlink ›
- Glen Hansard died at 56 in a motorcycle crash in Lucan, outside Dublin; the Frames frontman won the Oscar for 'Falling Slowly' from the 2007 film Once, co-written with and shared with Markéta Irgloválink ›
- Once grossed $20M+ worldwide on a low budget and its 2012 Broadway adaptation won 8 of 11 Tony nominations; tributes came from Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Warren Ellis, and Ireland's culture minister Patrick O'Donovanlink ›
- Purple Rain opens at the Majestic Theatre April 12, 2027 with previews from March 12, featuring 20+ Prince songs and a new book by Peter Duchan replacing Branden Jacobs-Jenkins from the 2024 Minneapolis premierelink ›
- Mike Leigh, 83, said his next film 'Tender Loving Care' will be his last due to myositis; the comedy drama starring Marion Bailey and Kate O'Flynn targets Telluride and Toronto premieres this falllink ›
- Joyce Carol Oates clashed with Homeric translator Emily Wilson over Nolan's Odyssey, accusing Wilson of speaking 'in the crude language of MAGA folks' after Wilson's LRB essay called the film's writing 'abysmal'link ›
Four women accused Jared Leto of criminal sexual conduct — including a 2002 motel bathroom assault on a 17-year-old, a 2013 sexual-assault threat against a 19-year-old in London, and statutory rape in California at 17 — in a BBC documentary that catalogued a 14-year pattern and 120+ online allegations. Leto denied everything as 'absolutely and categorically false'; his European arena tour and Masters of the Universe film role continue unimpeded. Separately, Glen Hansard died at 56 in a motorcycle crash in Lucan, outside Dublin, ending the career of the Frames frontman whose Oscar-winning 'Falling Slowly' from the 2007 film Once made him a Broadway and Grammy fixture.
The stories behind this week
Billie Eilish Concert Movie ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ Sets Paramount+ Streaming DateThe Aug. 6 streaming debut converts a $27 million theatrical concert film — co-directed by James Cameron and shot in VR 3D with Meta — into a Paramount+ subscriber draw, giving the platform a marquee music property alongside its existing documentary and unscripted music lineup.
Up in the Air Cast Real Fired Workers — It Still ResonatesThe essay repositions a 16-year-old film as unusually forward-looking: Reitman's anti-remote-firing moral argument, made when Zoom calls were novel, lands harder in an AI era, and the documentary-style casting of real laid-off workers gives the comedy-drama emotional weight that scripted performances alone could not.
Oates Defends Nolan's 'Odyssey' From Wilson's Viral AttackThe critic isn't a random detractor: Wilson is a respected Homeric scholar whose 2017 translation Nolan explicitly credited as creative inspiration for his film, making this public clash between two of literature's most prominent voices a notable inflection point in the blockbuster's critical reception.
Glen Hansard Dies at 56 in Motorcycle CrashHansard's death at 56 cuts short the career of an artist whose work bridged Irish folk-rock, indie cinema and Broadway — Once's eight-Tony-winning stage run ensured his songs will outlive him, while the Frames' two-decade catalogue and his annual Grafton Street busking for the homeless cemented his reputation as a working musician, not just an awards figure.
‘Purple Rain’ Musical Headed To Broadway In 2027Wolf is betting that Prince's catalog — 150 million records sold and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction — can sustain a Broadway transfer after a single Minneapolis tryout season. The wholesale creative team swap signals the producers are substantially rebuilding the show for a national audience rather than simply relocating it, raising the stakes on a $70-million-grossing film with a notoriously devoted fan base.
Mike Leigh to Retire After 'Tender Loving Care' Due to IllnessAt 83, Mike Leigh's exit is dictated by myositis rather than creative choice, with Telluride and Toronto giving his final film the full festival treatment. Cinematographer Dick Pope died in October 2024, meaning Leigh's last collaboration with his most trusted visual partner is already permanently sealed.
Dermot Mulroney Leaving ‘Chicago Fire’ in Season 15Two veteran cast members — including a 14-season original — are exiting within the same season while a new showrunner takes over, making Season 15 the most significant creative reset the long-running drama has undergone. With the Season 14 finale leaving Pascal and Severide's fates unresolved, the show is effectively rebuilding its core ensemble around the unresolved warehouse cliffhanger.
Four Women Accuse Jared Leto of Criminal Sexual ConductThe BBC's 14-year pattern of corroborated allegations — spanning statutory rape, sexual assault and threats — puts renewed pressure on a still-active A-list celebrity whose career continues uninterrupted, including a major European arena tour and a Masters of the Universe film role.
Why it matters: The BBC's 14-year documented pattern of corroborated allegations against a still-active A-lister with a major tour and studio film in the pipeline puts the entertainment industry's accountability mechanisms under renewed pressure to answer why serious criminal allegations have not slowed his career.
