Is Shannon Leto Jared Leto’s brother? All about the musician and actor as he marries Cara Santana

Yes, Shannon Leto and Jared Leto are blood brothers and have been longtime collaborators, too. Shannon Leto was born on March 9, 1970, in Bossier City, Louisiana. He was the first child of Constance Leto and Tony Bryant.

Jared Leto, now widely recognized for his roles in Hollywood, arrived just over a year later, on December 26, 1971. The two brothers spent their early years moving often. It was during those nomadic times that their shared interest in music took place. By 1998, they’d officially formed Thirty Seconds to Mars, a rock band that saw Jared stepping into the spotlight as lead singer while Shannon laid down the rhythm on drums. The brother duo went on to release six studio albums together.

Shannon Leto marries Cara Santana in an intimate Beverly Hills ceremony:

On May 5, Shannon Leto exchanged vows with actress Cara Santana in an intimate ceremony in Beverly Hills. The wedding was hosted at a private residence. The couple welcomed close friends and family, including Shannon’s Oscar-winning brother, Jared Leto.

Among the 50 guests were model and mom-to-be Olivia Culpo, her husband Christian McCaffrey, and Salem actress Ashley Madekwe, a longtime friend of the bride.

In an interview with Vogue Mexico, Cara shared that her wedding to Shannon Leto was untraditional, but it was a lot of fun

"We invited only 50 people to make it an intimate wedding. It was untraditional, highly personalized, and SO much fun!" Cara shared.

“I never dreamed of getting married. Our relationship with Shannon gave me the space and freedom to understand that true love is a place of balance and grounding; a foundation that gives me the courage and confidence to pursue my dreams, persevere, and be the person I want to be. One day, I decided that being married to him was something I wanted for my life. I never imagined a dream wedding, but it ended up being just that,” shared Cara Santana-Leto

Brothers in the storm: Jared and Shannon Leto's journey from addiction to art

Jared and Shannon Leto didn’t have the smoothest start. In a 2014 interview with The Standard, Jared revealed that both brothers experimented with drugs during their teenage years. While Jared pulled away to study art in Philadelphia, Shannon’s addiction deepened, eventually bringing him into conflict with the law.

Recovery began when Shannon joined Jared in Los Angeles, after Jared had been cast in My So-Called Life. Music soon became their shared focus, and by 1998, the two had launched Thirty Seconds to Mars.

“It was either that or prison. It saved both of us really, Shannon started drumming on pots and pans from an early age; I played a broken, second-hand piano.” shared Jared.

Later, Shannon also appeared in Jared’s films. He was seen with his younger brother in Prefontaine and the 2002 crime drama Highway.

Jared Leto appreciated his brother on X (Previously known as Twitter) on July 14, 2023. He thanked his brother for being beside him through life, even when life didn't seem easy.

"Sometimes life is easy. Sometimes it’s not. But I’m lucky because I have my brother to share this journey with. No matter how hard life might seem at times we always have each other to turn to. Feeling grateful for that. And for all of you."

Shannon Leto's creativity extended far beyond the drum kit. In a 2010 interview with The Denver Post, he mentioned that he practiced photography, even though he chose not to share his images publicly at the time. But that didn’t stop his younger brother from celebrating his talent.

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In 2016, Jared Leto shared a throwback on Facebook, posting a photo of himself in a bathtub.

"My incredibly talented brother Shannon Leto took this photo of me at our old place in Hollywood, California, we were living together in a beat up little house with two dogs and we would rehearse relentlessly for hours and hours in a dilapidated garage that seemed to always be either flooded, freezing or 110 degrees."

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