Campaigners Demand UK Venues Cancel Jared Leto Concerts
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- Women's Aid and the End Violence Against Women Coalition called on organizers to cancel Thirty Seconds to Mars' April concerts at London's The O2 and Manchester Co-Op Live, framing the choice as putting "safety over profit."
- A BBC investigation heard from four women initially and ultimately ten total accusing Jared Leto of sexual assault and grooming during the 2000s and 2010s, when the accusers were teenagers and Leto was in his 30s and 40s; he is now 54.
- Leto strongly denies the allegations in a statement released by his representatives, saying he has "never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life"; the BBC reports he did not respond to repeated pre-publication requests.
- The BBC, promoters, venues, and the band were contacted for comment on the cancellation calls but had not responded at time of publication.
- Two former band crew members told the BBC documentary "Jared Leto: Hollywood's Dark Secret" that staff felt uncomfortable about Leto's interactions with teenage girls, with one alleging crew members were instructed to invite young girls backstage.
- Alex, an ex-model who was 19 at the time, told the BBC she pretended to be 17 when she met Leto at a 2013 O2 arena event; she says he responded, "Age is just a number, and anyway, we're in Europe."
Why it matters: The campaigners' call puts The O2 and Manchester Co-Op Live in the spotlight ahead of two already-scheduled arena dates next April, forcing a venue-level decision on whether to platform an artist facing serious criminal allegations before any legal outcome. Women's Aid argued organizers must choose "safety over profit" — making the industry's silence (no response from promoters, venues, or band) a test of platforming practice on unproven abuse claims.
