MCU star Jeremy Renner, known for playing Hawkeye in the Avengers movies, is facing serious accusations from filmmaker Yi Zhou. The director, who was both Renner’s romantic and professional partner, has accused him of sending her unsolicited intimate photos and acting violently while they worked together.
She shared her story through deleted Instagram posts and an interview with DailyMail, saying she lived in fear for her safety during their time together. In fact, one incident happened at Renner’s home when he allegedly drank a bottle of wine and began shouting at her for over two hours, which led Zhou to lock herself in a room, scared for her life.
I was discussing about the doc logistics, then he drank a bottle of wine alone and got angry and angry yelling for two hours. I had to location-share to my team, my parents, and Disney colleagues in case something happens to me they know where I am.
I had to lock myself in a room to be safe praying he would not come into the room at night as he was really angry. I did not say a word, I was so scared for my life.
These disturbing claims have drawn attention online, especially since Renner has faced similar accusations before from his ex-wife, Sonni Pacheco. She had previously accused him of drug use and domestic violence. So now, in the wake of Jeremy Renner facing similar accusations from two different women, fans are questioning the Marvel star’s private life.
Yi Zhou Accuses Jeremy Renner of Sending Explicit, Unsolicited Photos of Himself
Taking to Instagram, in four now-deleted posts, filmmaker Yi Zhou accused Jeremy Renner of sending her “personal and intimate photographs of himself” without her asking for them (via The Direct). Zhou said this was one of the first things he did after they started talking, saying he was “single” and looking for love.
Mr. Renner first contacted me directly in June, sending personal and intimate photographs of himself, behavior that, according to public reports, he has exhibited before. He convinced me of his sincerity, saying he had been single for a long time and open to a long-term relationship. I believed in him, in the power of love, and in the possibility of redemption.
Zhou admitted that she believed Renner and his desire to be loved, because she thought he had changed and was being genuine. The director also claimed that while they were working together on the Chronicles of Disney and an animated movie, Renner had agreed to let her use his image, social media posts, and his foundation in the projects.
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However, after the documentary’s release, she said Jeremy Renner suddenly refused to promote it. Yi Zhou accused him of allowing people online to spread false information about her, including claims that the film was made using AI and that she and Renner were never connected professionally.
Jeremy Renner later entered into written agreements with my Italian production company Into the Sun Films… Yet, after the project’s release two weeks ago, he has refused to make any public promotion… Instead, he has allowed without stepping up for false information to spread through fan accounts falsely claiming that the documentary was generated by AI.
So later on, when Zhou apparently confronted Renner privately about his behavior and asked him to act respectfully, the actor allegedly “threatened to call immigration or ICE” on her. Claiming to be terrified of the threat, Zhou called it “an unacceptable act”, which was meant to intimidate her.
When I called him out privately about his past misconduct and asked him to behave properly, to respect me as a woman and as a filmmaker, he threatened to call immigration/ICE on me, an act that deeply shocked and frightened me.
In her later Instagram posts (which are now deleted), Zhou said the experience left her feeling “silenced, intimidated, and afraid” that she might lose work opportunities in Hollywood. She also revealed that she was still living with the emotional pain and humiliation caused by Renner’s actions.
Jeremy Renner’s Ex-wife Once Accused Him of Domestic Abuse and Drug Use
Meanwhile, in one of her Instagram posts, Yi Zhou noted how her altercations with Jeremy Renner reminded her of reading about his past troubles with his ex-wife, Sonni Pacheco. Zhou herself mentioned that she had heard about those earlier accusations but didn’t believe them until she “experienced them firsthand”.
In a follow-up Instagram post (which has now been deleted), she said she faced “domestic aggressions” while in a relationship with Renner, similar to what Pacheco had described years before. Zhou wrote that she was scared for her life but continued her film projects with support from her team and friends at Disney.
For months, I carried my pain quietly in my relation with Jermey Renner which turned out to have domestic aggressions, and by choosing to finish my films, Chronicles of Disney and Stardust Future, and give out a positive and romantic tone to the relation no matter how heavy the days felt.
When I read the past allegations of his ex wife, I did not believe them. After experiencing in first person, and having had the fear for my life, I managed to endure thx to my team and my friend’s at Disney’s support and I could finish ‘Chronicles of Disney’ and ‘Stardust Future’ with my team in Italy and China.
Meanwhile, back in 2019, Sonni Pacheco (who was married to Jeremy Renner between 2014 to 2017) had accused the MCU actor of serious abuse in court documents during their custody battle over their daughter, Ava. According to TMZ reports at the time, Pacheco said Renner was once “high on coke and booze” when he allegedly said he “could not deal with her anymore, and he just wanted her gone”. He basically talked about killing her and then himself.
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She claimed he even put a gun in his mouth during one terrifying night, which made her fear for both her and their daughter’s safety. Pacheco also said Renner often used drugs while taking care of Ava. Additionally, in her legal filings, she alleged that he left cocaine on a bathroom counter that the child could easily reach.
She accused him of being verbally and emotionally abusive, saying that their nanny once overheard him saying it would be better if “Ava had no parents than to have [Sonni] as a mother”. Although Renner has always denied the accusations made by Pacheco, the resurfacing of similar claims from Yi Zhou has reignited public concern.
