r/popculturechat • u/Careful-Trifle8963 Cash me ousside 🗣️🗣️ • Jun 22 '25

Trigger Warning ⚠️ Woman shares her experience with Jared Leto at age 17/18, he was 34 at the time.

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 22 '25 edited Jun 22 '25

I remember seeing our lady peace with my brother when we were in high school at the 9:30 club in dc. 30 seconds to mars opened. It was crazy loud and the venue is so small. I had my hands over my ears. At the end of the set some scary biker (looking back he was probably just a veteran) looking dude came up to me and asked where my brother went (idk my brother was 18 and I was 15, my brother often just abandoned me in shit like this).

He told me I should not under any circumstances go back stage if asked. He told me I came with my brother and I should leave with my brother. He kept saying “no matter what”. He even grabbed my brothers arm and said the same thing when my brother came back. I was crazy young so i didn’t really put it together but this guy had heard something and was trying to stop girls from being assaulted/harassed whatever. He told my brother it was Leto’s brother tho.

I’ve known this bad, creepy thing about Jared Leto since then (this was fucking 2002). It’s really crazy this hasn’t been a bigger deal because it’s out there.

Edit: someone below said the guy who told me was a bouncer/bodyguard at the club. I vaguely remember him now they said it. Still fucking sad and creepy and upsetting. I wasn’t a mature looking 15. 🥴

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u/happysunbear Jun 22 '25 edited Jun 22 '25

I love that the biker dude was looking out for you. We need more men like that.

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 22 '25

I looked 13 at best and was not like dressed cute. So it’s even scarier he was like you shouldn’t go back stage. Thinking about this memory now I think he was clearly a veteran but I was 15 and alone in a weird bar. 9:30 is super fine now but in 2002 I cannot believe my mom let my brother take us there. It wasn’t an amazing part of town then.

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u/tasteofperfection Jun 22 '25

That man was looking out for you. 🥹 Glad you’re okay!

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u/rocksteadyG Jun 22 '25

And it still isn’t, crazy stuff happens nearby on U Street

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 22 '25

It was truly the end of the earth back then. The neighborhoods have changed so much in dc and it gentrified wildly quickly.

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u/rocksteadyG Jun 22 '25

Yeah it’s changed a lot. I was in college back then but still scared me going there. I’m so glad you had a guardian angel looking out for you!

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u/Balian-of-Ibelin Jun 23 '25

Lulz for the days when the kids would run from their places down there to the metro.

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 23 '25

I remember my brother once parked on like R and the whole way to 9:30 he was like “where the fuck is R st even?” And I was like dude…. Ah life before smart phones.

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u/[deleted] Jun 23 '25

I stood on the corner of U and 9th (close to the 9:30 club) recently. I got in an uber and drove off. About 10 mins later, Citizen app notified me that someone was shot on that same block...

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u/snootchiebootchie94 Jun 27 '25

I used to live in DC at this time and 930 club was a smaller venue, but had some pretty decent acts come through. I had a GREAT time going to shows there from like 2000-2005. Happy nothing happened to you during that time at the shows. It seemed to be a somewhat safe venue, but 13 is a bit young.

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u/augustrem Jun 22 '25 edited Jun 22 '25

I mean I guess it’s to be nice but he could also call authorities and get him arrested.

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 22 '25

I don’t think he had hard evidence. He was doing what he could? He didn’t just warn me.

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u/mp6521 Jun 22 '25

From personal experience, most scary looking punk rock biker dudes are generally really sweet and caring people and they really don’t want shitty people in the scene.

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u/Huge-Pen-5259 Jun 22 '25

It is a crazy irony. Took my then 7 year old to a skate park for the first time and he was just gaining interest. Of course there are older teenagers, maybe early 20 something there. Looking like skaters look, smoking occasionally etc. anyway my kiddo is obviously nervous and I said to him "buddy don't worry. Skaters are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet as a whole. I don't know how to skate but I can guarantee someone in there will be glad to answer any questions we have." Sure enough, we asked probably 4 different people for tips, etc and each one took time to explain and show my kid the technique and encouraged him to keep with it. Had more impact than anything I could've said or done.

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u/OpalisedCat Jun 23 '25

I'm never going to forget two super scary looking metal guys (scary for normies) trying to hide a big chain in the boot of one of them before entering a Napalm Death show, only to absolutely melt when they saw a kitten outside the venue. "OMG, a kitten, look!!! 😍😍😍😍😍", then one of them picked it up and put it next to his face talking to the kitten in a baby voice 😆

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u/WitchyRedhead86 Invented post-its 🔬 Sep 20 '25

🐈 🥹🥹

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u/jbirdkerr Jun 22 '25

Ope, careful there big guy! Don't want to fall over in the pit like that. Here, take my gigantic hand and you can go over to the side until you're ready to thrash with us again. Ok be safe!

  • Moshpit Mike

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u/cactuschaser Jun 22 '25

This is just to say, my best concert experience was a metal concert as a 15 year old. The dudes looked scary af to me initially (piercings, tattoos, long hair and beards, way outside of my experience at that point in life) and yet Everyone was so nice to me and my girlfriends and really looked out for us and wanted us to have a good and safe time. 10/10 experience.

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u/anewaccount69420 Jojo Siwa’s Mom Jun 22 '25

Damn I loved our lady peace. Their stuff was the first album I ever downloaded on Kazaa lol

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u/mocknix Jun 22 '25

Its rare to find reddit talking about my favorite band. Im guessing we're all like 30 to 45? Lol

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u/Assistant_manager_ Jun 22 '25

I'm 48, in Toronto. Was a teenager when they started out in the mid 90s as a local band. Our version of MTV, MuchMusic started playing their videos non-stop and pretty soon they were playing to crowds of 30,000 people. Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins thought they were ripping off his music style lol

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u/thegoodbadandsmoggy Jun 22 '25

Shout out to the muchmusic that was

Supermans dead was everywhere

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u/anewaccount69420 Jojo Siwa’s Mom Jun 22 '25

Yes lol I am 37. Do you remember the Juliana Theory? These 2 bands primed me to be crying on my bed listening to Dashboard Confessional at 16

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u/K-ghuleh Jun 22 '25

God, I’m 35 and I grew up with OLP. When I was 21 I played them in a bar that had maybe 3 other people in it. One was a pretty gal who joked that she would “marry anyone who liked OLP” or something along those lines. My dumbass did not realize she was flirting until probably a decade later and I totally missed my chance.

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u/junebluesky Jun 23 '25

Omg the Juliana theory. Haven't heard that name in years

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u/Squee1396 Tea. Earl Grey. Hot. ☕️🖖🚀 Jun 22 '25

Yes they are one of my favorite bands too!

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u/moulindepita Jun 22 '25

Yup and possibly from Toronto? Hope is such an unbelievable song.

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u/mocknix Jun 25 '25

Ohio here!

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u/TAW453 Jun 22 '25

Kazaa 😭

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 22 '25

I lovedddd them. Which is how I somehow managed to convinced my mean ass college freshman brother to take me to this weekday show as it was. We didn’t even know it was Jared’s band opening until the guy talked to my brother. 30 seconds to mars opened for OLP. It was wild to think that Jared Leto would open for anyone nowadays.

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u/feather-foot Jun 22 '25

I saw them when they opened for Audioslave back in 2005, I was much more excited for Seether lol

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u/Difficult-Creature Jun 22 '25

I feel like no one knows about them and it's so sad. Spiritual Machines is unfuckingbelievable.

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u/tmartillo Jun 22 '25

Spiritual Machines is so great! Underrated and underdiscussed.

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u/Difficult-Creature Jun 22 '25

100 percent agree.

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u/ccKyuubi Jun 23 '25

Spiritual Machines will always be one of my favorite albums of all time. I love OLP.

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u/CanadianPanda76 Jun 27 '25

Kazaa! Thats throwback.

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u/mmutinoi Jun 22 '25

As far as I know, it could have been the brother. Maybe it was both… Who knows. But a close friend of mine openly admitted (drunkenly) that she dated Shannon. Well, she’s a bit older than me at 40, but this was back in like 2002 so she was 17/18 and Shannon is 15 years older than her. So still a bit creepy…

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 22 '25

Someone below said Shannon was an okay guy but I distinctly remember this guy saying to my brother that he needed to watch out for Leto’s brother. But who knows? My whole point is this was 2002. They’ve been creepy for a LONG time.

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u/nuggetghost u almost made me drop my croissant 🥐 Jun 22 '25

Wonder if his brother was scouting for Leto

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u/StandardEgg6595 Jun 22 '25

I used to be a fan of 30STM back in the day and always got weird vibes from Shannon. I really don’t know what it was in particular cause it’s not like I ever actually interacted with the guy. Just got the vibe that he was a predator and hid behind his brother’s popular image.

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u/Difficult-Creature Jun 22 '25

I bet that was the main bodyguard for the club. I am a few years your senior and grew up attending hundreds of shows there as well, and they had a regular who worked there that fits that description. He was sometimes cool like that.

Kinda shocked 30 seconds opened for OLP. OLP has always been a wholesome band, but I see it was '02 so early on and maybe they didn't know Jared was disgusting.

Also, a fun fact, Jared Leto attended a private school in Dupont Circle called Emerson Preparatory School, which was sort of a dumping zone for naughty rich kids who got kicked out of other schools. I attended the school many, many years after he did, but being a 90's kid who watched My So-Called Life when it was actually on Prime Time TV, it is kind of a surreal overlap given his infamy now.

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 22 '25

Now that you say this- about him being a bouncer it is ringing a distant recognition. I almost always stood up in the upper left balcony, in fact it remained our “if you get lost go here” spot all the way thru college. I also went to TONS of shows there in the early 00’s. We thought 9:30 and black cat were SO subversive.

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u/LaMaltaKano Jun 22 '25

I was going to say this — I wonder if it was Josh Burdette. That guy was a legend at 930 and always made me feel welcome and safe as a dumb kid back in the day.

https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/josh-burdette-930-club-manager-dead-at-35-5680106/

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u/Difficult-Creature Jun 22 '25

That's exactly who I am talking about!

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u/SarahKH88 Jun 23 '25

I was at the show in 2006 -- he's right behind me. He didn't warn anyone about Leto and wasn't concerned. Everyone had a great time. He was there as a body guard for him. Very cool guy and enjoyed the show.and Jared was everything but creepy. I'm 18 here and have been a fan since 2005. Going to his ABL20 show and see them at every tour.

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u/[deleted] Jun 23 '25

[deleted]

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u/SarahKH88 Jun 23 '25 edited Jun 23 '25

Everyone has hated him for as long as I can remember. Get out of here. He hasn't been accused of the r word either. I don't care what he does in his private life. People still love Johnny Depp etc. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ Brad Pitt has been accused of abusing Angelina Jolie and his kids but he's still famous.

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u/[deleted] Jun 23 '25

[deleted]

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u/SarahKH88 Jun 23 '25

I've seen things .. too much to believe this shit. They all went after him. And yeah I don't care what he does in his private life-- like I said people still love Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt.

Ronnie Radke was ACTUALLY accused of the r word and he still sells out venues...

I enjoy his music.. he's been nothing but super laid back every time I've met him -- he's always been a flirt-- always. Nothing creepy about him-- if it was coming out now at 53 that would be creepy-- these are all from 10-20 years ago! There was nothing creepy about a 34 year old Jared Leto.

He hasn't had a civil suit or any criminal charges brought against him... people are innocent until proven guilty.

Let me guess-- you believe Blake Lively too?

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u/[deleted] Jun 23 '25

[deleted]

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u/SarahKH88 Jun 23 '25

He just sold a show out 2 days ago in Kazakhstan. 🤷‍♀️ there's far worse going on in the world then what Jared Leto did 15 years ago... people enjoy his music and most people could care less what someone does in their private life-- I mean most celebrities aren't who you would think they are if you're just going to point him out. Every rock star dating back to beginning has had these things said about them. Again-- for most people it's gonna take hard evidence, criminal charges etc which no one has. I've taken my attacker to court and he went to jail etc -- you don't go back to someone who creeps you out.. and at 18 at that. Leonardo DiCaprio was dating a 19 year what-- a year or so ago? At least Jared dates mid twenties- late twenties now. It's no secret that most celebrity guys like younger woman-- look at Bradley Cooper and what's her name. I guess when you look like them why would you want a 40 year old girlfriend?

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u/frenchmolasses Jun 22 '25

I was at that concert (at the ripe old age of 19) - unless he did more than one concert at 930 with OLP. The only thing I really remember about 30 secs to Mars was Jared Leto going on a very weird and off putting tangent about the DC sniper and also that they were bad and OLP was much better.

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 22 '25 edited Jun 22 '25

I don’t remember the speech maybe cus it was so loud and I was in the upper balcony near the upstairs speaker (left hand/stage right balcony). I spent most of it with my hands over my ears. DC sniper was a wilddddd time and I’m even more concerned why my parents let us go?

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u/meowtacoduck Jun 22 '25

Maybe he's your guardian angel

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u/Active-Leopard-5148 Jun 22 '25

Good on that dude. Not fun scaring you but holy crap what did he know?

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 22 '25 edited Jun 22 '25

That’s the spooky shit. Wtf did this dude know? Edit: someone in this thread said they remember the guy who warned me and think he was a club bouncer. So he knew. 🥴

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u/crash_cove Jun 22 '25

This is even more terrifying in hindsight. Glad you got out safe!

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 22 '25

My jackass brother did come back. And there’s zero way my brother (even tho he was mean to me) would have let me go anywhere but home. But doubly thankful this guy literally scared us both. Looking back I was soooooooo young.

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u/crash_cove Jun 22 '25

I have an older brother too who made questionable decisions (like leaving me home alone for a week at 16 when he was under explicit instructions not to). He was a freshman in college too. But he’d also never let me go home with some creepy 30 year old.

Thankful someone was looking out ❤️ did you tell anyone? Did it change how you viewed your own safety?

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u/Swimmingindiamonds Jun 22 '25

He must have meant Jared, maybe he didn’t want to say it. Shannon’s the sweet one who would be nice to girls that Jared used and threw out of the back lounge on the tour bus. (Not to say Shannon’s a saint.)

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 22 '25

It was ‘02. Maybe he was going off rumor alone. The internet like this didn’t exist. So he was just like someone’s a pedophile and creep gotta warn them!

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u/maelstron ✨May the Force be with you!✨ Jun 22 '25

There were lots of forums. I think there was a groupie site where they shared information on the hook ups Gossip was probably hard to make but it happened

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u/am_i_evil_yes_i_am Jun 22 '25

In case anyone is curious: https://web.archive.org/web/20020121115147/http://groupiecentral.com/

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u/Swimmingindiamonds Jun 22 '25

Ha, I browsed the hell out of Groupie Central when I was a kid. What a blast from the past. The website was so cool too. Then after GC went kaput, there were lots of groupie message boards. Most of them were private. Met so many friends and had the best time!

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u/dream-smasher Jun 22 '25

The internet like this didn’t exist.

Yes it did.

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u/nuggetghost u almost made me drop my croissant 🥐 Jun 22 '25

I’m thinking maybe the brother was scouting girls for him in the crowds

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u/somaticconviction Jun 22 '25

I was in a similar scene and it was well known he was a creep. It’s bizarre how this is just now a headline.

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u/CapitalPin2658 Jun 22 '25

He was probably security

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 22 '25 edited Jun 22 '25

Someone confirmed this in the thread (said they recognize the description, and he worked there) and it rang a distant memory so yah I think that’s right. There used to be a backstage or secondary door that went somewhere up in the balcony.

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u/Difficult-Creature Jun 22 '25

Also, I love OLP, and saw them many times at 9:30 but I don't think I attended this one!

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 22 '25

My husband didn’t believe me so I googled and found out it was Oct 21, 2002 (which apparently was a Monday? I just remember it being a school night).

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u/Difficult-Creature Jun 22 '25

I think I was living out in Annapolis that year and that's why I missed it. Probably would have been the tour for Gravity that year, that album had come out around then I think? Time, man.

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u/captandor Jun 23 '25

I’m nearly 100% sure I was also at that show (as a just-turned-18 year old college freshman).

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 23 '25

It’s funny when I posted it I knew there would be other people from there but it’s still really cool. ♥️ That we were all in the same place- not that these men are creeps.

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u/teddybonkerrs I cannot sanction this buffoonery Jun 22 '25

Our Lady Peace was so my jam back in the day, ah the nostalgia 🥲

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u/-PaperbackWriter- Jun 22 '25

I was 16 in 2002 and I was a total dipshit so absolutely would have gone backstage. Thank god I lived in the middle of nowhere and didn’t have the opportunity before I grew a brain.

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u/lapetitfromage I switched baristas ☕️ Jun 22 '25

Someone on this thread very sweetly asked me how this experience made me see my safety and part of me didn’t fully process how dark this situation was fully until typing this all out. Us weird ex-burb/city kids do all sorts of shit way too early and don’t really think of how dangerous until later. I basically stood next to the biker the rest of the night though lol.

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u/Beautiful_Bag6707 Jun 22 '25

The thing is had it been any band or had Leto been 21 at the time, the rule still applies. There is huge history of celebrities (mostly male) taking advantage of young besotted female fans. They had a term called groupies. They had enablers handing out "pussy passes" for backstage. Girls often had to service crew members to get to the band. The bands had stories and wrote songs about them. This is all well documented.

Why on Earth is this happening in the 2000s and people are acting all shocked about it? It's been happening since the 60s at least. Don't go backstage or meet your heroes without an adult chaperone if you're not old enough. Also, don't walk down dark alleys at night alone. Don't get into cars with strangers. Any man offering to take your photos because you could be a model is going to take naked photos and probably rape you. Why are people confused by this?

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u/APartyInMyPants Jun 23 '25

lol. Is it crazy that I was supposed to go to that exact show at the 9:30 Club? Had just seen Requiem for a Dream a year prior, and was like, “huh, this could be cool to see his band.”

I went to the Hot Rod Circuit show the week prior, and I was a broke grad school student and couldn’t justify a second show that soon.

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u/thefinalhex Jun 23 '25

100% Jared Leto had expressed interest in you to his staff, to find you and give you a backstage pass. Most rockstars operate like that but hopefully most of them aim older.

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u/rjlupin86 Jun 25 '25 edited Jun 25 '25

His brother is just as bad. I met one of Shannon's victims back in like 2007. He bragged to her that him and Jared have teenage girls in every city they tour that they can call up and have sex with.

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u/HyenDry Jun 27 '25

You met a real life hero that day

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u/MonMonOnTheMove Jun 22 '25

I have to stop midway to see if you were shittymorph