Academy Award-winning actor Jared Leto has been accused by at least nine women of sexually inappropriate behaviour as of June 7. The claims were first reported by Air Mail, which noted that some of the alleged victims were underage at the time of their interactions with the actor-musician. Leto’s representatives have since issued a statement, flat-out denying the accusations on all counts. However, an anonymous woman told the outlet, “It’s been an open secret for a long time.” Here’s a breakdown of the serious claims against the Suicide Squad star.Jared Leto accused of sexual misconductLos Angeles-based DJ Allie Teilz, one of the very first accusers, reposted her decade-old Facebook post where she claimed Leto tried to force himself on her backstage. She also called the Dallas Buyers Club star “Hollywood’s most persistent predator in a kilt.” In another post, she said she was underage when the incident happened and claimed he knew it but didn’t care. “I was assaulted and traumatised by this creep when I was 17,” she wrote, adding, “What he did was predatory, terrifying, and unacceptable.” In response to the accusations, Leto’s rep said, “Ms. Teilz’s allegations are demonstrably false.”Also read: Tron Ares trailer: Jared Leto unleashes chaos in real world, Jeff Bridges set to returnFormer model Laura La Rue claimed she first met Leto at an event when she was 16 and later visited him at 17. “I remember him teasing me the whole time I was there,” Laura told Air Mail. “He was flirting with me. He’d lean in close, then pull away, like it was a game.” The outlet reported that Leto walked out of his room without any clothes on in front of her. Leto’s representative claimed that their communication was not inappropriate and that La Rue had even applied to work for them. But La Rue denied ever applying.An anonymous woman who spoke to the outlet claimed she started texting Leto when she was underage. She alleged their encounters turned sexual when she was 18 and that one experience left her feeling uncomfortable. A fourth person claimed she met the actor at a café when she was 16, and said their conversations later made her uneasy. “He’d ask things like, ‘Have you ever had a boyfriend? Have you ever…” she said. “He changed his voice, the way he talked. It scared me. That was the first time I thought, ‘Oh my God, that’s not just in movies.’” Another accuser said Leto called her late at night and made remarks that crossed the line. She speculated he might have been on drugs or something, to which Leto’s team responded, saying he “has not had a drink or used drugs in over 35 years.”Also read: ‘I was buying drugs, pretended they were vintage clothes,’: Miley Cyrus on hiding expenses, ‘leaking blood’ on stage and Disney banWhile the accusations are shocking, this is not the first time the actor has been accused of an abusive pattern. In 2018, actor Dylan Sprouse tweeted about Leto’s habit of messaging young models: “Yo @JaredLeto now that you’ve slid into the DMs of every female model aged 18–25, what would you say your success rate is?” Director James Gunn even replied, “He starts at 18 on the internet?” Leto, known for his intense method acting, once claimed to have sent bizarre gifts to cast members on the Suicide Squad set, but later walked it back, saying those stories were blown out of proportion.Click for more updates and latest Hollywood News along with Bollywood and Entertainment updates. Also get latest news and top headlines from India and around the World at The Indian Express.© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd