Trigger Warning: This article includes discussion of alleged sexual misconduct.
Jared Leto is reportedly no longer in line for a role in Barry Levinson’s political thriller Assassination. Sources connected to the production claim filmmakers moved ahead without him as renewed sexual misconduct allegations intensified scrutiny of the actor. Leto was never formally announced as part of the cast. He has denied the allegations, and no producer has publicly confirmed why the negotiations ended.
Producers reportedly moved on without Jared Leto as controversy continues
Page Six reported on Aug. 4 that Leto had been in advanced discussions to join the film, but producers decided not to finalize a deal. Sources associated with the production alleged that the growing controversy influenced the decision.
When Deadline first reported the negotiations in December 2024, the outlet said Leto was in final talks and that his deal was close, but not complete. The latest report therefore concerns an unrealized casting agreement, not his removal from a role he had officially secured.
Assassination follows journalist Dorothy Kilgallen as she investigates President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Jessica Chastain will play Kilgallen, while Al Pacino, Brendan Fraser and Bryan Cranston will also appear in the ensemble. Barry Levinson will direct from a screenplay by David Mamet and Nicholas Celozzi.
The reported casting change follows the release of the BBC documentary Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret. Reuters reported that four women accused Leto of sexual misconduct involving encounters that allegedly occurred when they were teenagers. Other women also described separate alleged interactions in the documentary. Leto rejected the claims. “I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false,” he said in a statement.
Leto has denied the sexual misconduct allegations, calling them “absolutely and categorically false.” As of July 30, the LAPD reportedly had no active sexual assault investigation involving the actor.
The controversy has prompted different responses across Hollywood. WME reportedly continues to represent Leto, and the agency’s client advisory committee had not opened a review as of late July. Representatives for Leto did not respond to Page Six’s request for comment about Assassination. The production has not announced a replacement.
If the sources’ account is accurate, the decision would mark a significant professional consequence as the allegations receive renewed attention.
TELL US: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT PRODUCERS REPORTEDLY MOVING ON WITHOUT JARED LETO?
