Jared Leto dropped from major film amid surge of assault accusations

Jared Leto, who earned an Oscar and fronts the band Thirty Seconds to Mars, was reportedly close to securing a starring role in Barry Levinson's new film Assassination before the casting fell apart. Sources said the deal seemed near final until a wave of sexual assault and grooming allegations resurfaced, amplified by one outlet's documentary featuring ten women’s accounts, including four who were minors at the time. Leto has consistently rejected the claims, calling them false.

Industry observers noted that the disappointing earnings of his 2025 movie Tron: Ares may have provided a convenient pretext for the decision. The project, which also stars Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston and Brendan Fraser, continues without a replacement for the role Leto was expected to play. Production had already been delayed by an unrelated lawsuit.