Leonardo DiCaprio allegedly coerced women to sleep with him, actor's friend claims

Harold Hunter's resurfaced 2002 interview reveals Leonardo DiCaprio's controversial past in Hollywood, particularly his association with the “P***y Posse.”

The talk with a late skateboarder and actor Harold Hunter, famous for playing a role in the 1995 movie Kids, that has resurfaced has brought scrutiny back on Leonardo DiCaprio’s Hollywood culture of power and fame in the 1990s and 2000s still.

While Harlod Hunter describes Leonardo DiCaprio's behaviour at parties, a representative emphasizes DiCaprio's focus on his career and distancing from past antics and current controversies involving others. (Jordan Strauss/AP Content Services for Conrad N. Hilton Foundation)(AP)

Initially dismissed as the ramblings of a partygoer, Hunter’s comments have again put a spotlight on DiCaprio’s infamous reputation as a member of the so-called “P***y Posse.”

In the audio, Hunter recalled, “Leonardo DiCaprio, he’s a pretty cool guy, you know? I’d go to his house, and we’d have private parties. All these girls would come, all these models and shit would come, and we’d have so much fun…He loves ladies.”

“He’d be like, 'Yo, go for my friend Harold.' I’d be trying to flirt with a girl, and the girl won’t go for me. So Leo goes, ‘If you don’t go for Harold, I’m not gonna go for you.’”

“So I wind up hooking up with the girls…If you play with me, just be thinking about Leo,” he added.

A representative for DiCaprio, however, clarified, “Leo was at the start of his career at the time and has moved way past his partying. Leo is focused on his career and his relationship and is not at all thinking about Diddy’s federal case, which he has nothing to do with.”

DiCaprio's ‘P***y Posse’ image has long been a point of contention

This group, which included actors like Tobey Maguire, became notorious in the 1990s for their wild antics, misogynistic behaviour, and relentless pursuit of women.

This Hollywood A-listers reputation extended beyond parties, with allegations of inappropriate behaviour even towards members of the press. Journalist Nancy Jo Sales once recounted receiving a voicemail from DiCaprio that suggested a quid pro quo for an interview: “The speaker was telling me that if I wanted an interview with him, I’d have to ‘make a deal’ along the lines of doing something for him that Monica [Lewinsky] did for Bill [Clinton]. ‘Then maybe we’ll talk!’ he laughed.”

Adding to the scrutiny are resurfaced photos of DiCaprio attending Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ “freak-off” parties in the 1990s, including one in 1998 at Diddy’s East Hampton home. Diddy, now facing allegations of sexual abuse, racketeering, and sex trafficking, has been accused of hosting events that involved coercion, blackmail, and drug use.