Jared Leto was born in 1971 in Bossier City, a small town near Shreveport in northwestern Louisiana. His dad, Tony Bryant, abandoned his family when Jared was too young enough to remember, and he spent a chunk of his childhood without a father. It’s not something he tends to bring up much, for obvious reasons.
According to Newshub, Jared made an exception during a press conference at Cannes in 2014 while promoting Dallas Buyers Club. His memories are few, but Jared made a snide remark, telling a reporter that his father’s last words to him were, “I’ll see you kid, just going to the store to get a carton of milk,” while flicking a cigarette. It’s not likely his father actually said this, as Jared was just a baby when his father left the picture, but that’s a hell of a line to spout on his behalf.
Jared Leto would never see his father again. When he was eight years old, his father committed suicide for reasons unknown. Jared, his brother, Shannon, and their mother, Constance, moved in with her parents temporarily. Jared’s grandfather served in the military, so Jared moved to multiple locations throughout the United States during his childhood, per ESME. Constance eventually married Carl Leto, who adopted Jared and his brother.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).