American actor Jared Leto has lost a role in the upcoming thriller film Assassination following mounting allegations of sexual assault and harassment against him.
Leto had been in advanced discussions to join the production, according to sources close to the project who spoke to entertainment outlet Page Six. However, executives ultimately decided not to move forward with the collaboration as further complaints against the actor emerged.
The actor was reportedly keen to take part in the film and had been in regular contact with director Barry Levinson regarding the role. A source familiar with the casting process indicated that the agreement had previously appeared nearly complete.
Production executives and Levinson were aware of the accusations surrounding Leto and had discussed them internally before opening initial talks with him. Entertainment news outlet TMZ also reported on August 5, 2026, that Leto had lost out on the role amid the ongoing allegations.
Production discussions and casting decision
A source close to the production said the decision to move on from Leto came when the rising number of sexual misconduct claims made it impossible for film executives to proceed.
The feature film Assassination stars actors Bryan Cranston and Brendan Fraser. The movie centers on the true story of American journalist Dorothy Kilgallen, who died under unexplained circumstances while conducting an investigation into the 1963 assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
The Kennedy assassination film project
The casting fallout follows the recent broadcast of the BBC documentary Jared Leto: Hollywood's Dark Secret. In the program, ten women came forward with allegations of inappropriate behavior against the actor and musician.
The allegations presented in the documentary span from 2002 to 2016, covering a period when the women involved were between 16 and 18 years old. The documentary and a report published last year by publication Air Mail brought renewed attention to allegations against Leto, who had previously faced criminal sexual offense accusations from four women relating to when they were minors.
Documentary allegations and denial
Leto has repeatedly denied all accusations of misconduct and has maintained his innocence. He has publicly rejected the claims published by Air Mail as well as the more recent allegations brought forward in the BBC documentary.
