Avengers actor Jeremy Renner is facing explosive allegations from Chinese filmmaker Yi Zhou. She claims he sent unsolicited explicit photos and threatened to call ICE on her.
Renner, 54, says the story is completely flipped. He claims Zhou is the one who came onto him, sent explicit messages, and is now weaponizing the #MeToo playbook for the press.
The fight has escalated, with both sides now trading cease-and-desist letters.
According to Zhou, the two met over the summer while working on her documentary, Chronicles of Disney. Renner says his involvement was strictly professional.
From there, their stories split faster than a Marvel multiverse timeline.
Zhou claims Renner flooded her DMs with “unwanted, pornographic images.” She further claims he later “forced himself on me the first day we met.”
She also says that when she confronted him, he “threatened to call ICE.” This claim instantly went viral across social media.
Renner denies every word and flips the script. He accuses Zhou of making the first move, harassing him for weeks, and “sending hundreds of sexually explicit messages demanding sex.”
Renner’s attorney, Marty Singer, sent Zhou a blistering cease-and-desist letter on Friday.
Singer, who has represented high-profile clients including Johnny Depp and Kim Kardashian, called Zhou’s accusations “false, outrageous, and highly defamatory.”
In the letter obtained by TMZ, Singer claims Zhou sent messages containing explicit content. These included phrases such as “I want him inside of me so badly” and “I play with your fake giant thing thinking of the real giant.”
Renner admits to a “brief consensual encounter” in July, but insists that after that night, things were over.
When Zhou allegedly continued pressing for a relationship, he says he drew a hard line, stating, “I was not interested in anything romantic.” Then, he says, the harassment began.
Renner’s team claims Zhou escalated the situation by threatening to “harm him publicly” unless he helped promote her projects. Zhou denies the accusation.
Zhou responded with three cease-and-desist letters, accusing Renner of harassment, lewd videos and causing “distress and discomfort.”
Zhou frames herself as “frauded by love” and insists the Hawkeye actor was the one doing the chasing.
Renner’s side says she “manufactured fake and outlandish claims to generate publicity” and warns she could face “millions in liability” if she does not stop.
Zhou says she’s standing up for women. Renner says he’s protecting his name.
Singer adds the actor hasn’t spoken to Zhou in months, while Zhou continues posting cryptic messages about betrayal, power and justice, hinting that more receipts are coming.
