Jeremy Renner has found himself in deep water after a Chinese filmmaker, Yi Zhou, accused him of some serious misconduct. Before we get into the details of what exactly Zhou is claiming, let’s learn a bit more about her.
Zhou is a 37-year-old Chinese filmmaker, writer, producer, and multimedia artist. She was born in Shanghai but moved to Rome at the age of nine (via The New York Times). Her work has been showcased at the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals.
Apart from her work in the industry, she is also a model, having worked for names like Vogue, Elle, Bazaar, South China Morning Post, and more. In 2019, Zhou created a lifestyle and fashion brand, Global Intuition, focusing on things like “gender fluidity, sustainability, and cultural heritage” (via Fashion Weekly Daily).
Talking about where she gets her inspiration from, Zhou told Fashion Weekly Daily,
My greatest inspiration has been my dad. Watching him grow as an entrepreneur, as I was growing up, he taught me so much of what to do and what not to do as a business owner. He is the biggest supporter of my businesses and is also my favorite mentor.
Her other inspirations are Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, Billie Eilish, and more.
She has a few other entrepreneurial achievements, such as creating Into the Sun Entertainment (USA) and Into the Sun Films (Italy). Zhou has also done a handful of philanthropic works throughout her years, including her collaboration with the UN on a campaign to promote peace (via Deadline).
All Serious Allegations Yi Zhou Made Against Jeremy Renner
Yi Zhou has made some shocking claims against Jeremy Renner, claims that can land him in some serious trouble. The two artists collaborated on Chronicles of Disney, a documentary directed by Zhou, exploring the legacy of the Walt Disney Company. They also worked on an animated feature, Stardust Future, together.
Their professional collaboration turned personal, with the two allegedly starting a romantic relationship. Now, things have gone south after Zhou made explosive comments about Jeremy Renner on her social media. To top it all off, she came with receipts.
A post shared by YiZHOU周依® (@yizhouofficial)
In one of her Instagram posts, Zhou told her followers that Renner began reaching out to her in June with
…personal and intimate photographs of himself.
She added,
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.
In Part 2, Zhou accused the actor of refusing to engage in the promotion of their projects, despite entering a signed agreement with Into the Sun Films. She went on to add that when she privately called him out on his past misconduct and asked him to respect her as a “woman and as a filmmaker“, Renner allegedly threatened to call immigration/ICE on her, an act that left Zhou “deeply shocked and frightened.“
A post shared by YiZHOU周依® (@yizhouofficial)
Zhou has refused to share the rest of the text message, as per the Daily Mail.
In another post, Zhou stated that she kept her pain hidden for months, during which her time with Renner allegedly “turned out to have domestic aggressions.” She talked about giving their relationship a
…positive and romantic tone…no matter how heavy the days felt.
Zhou also admitted that she initially did not believe the allegations made against him by his ex-wife.
Zhou posted another explosive allegation in a post simply titled “P*rn“. She wrote,
In June 2025, out of the blue I received 2 photos of Jeremy Renner and then a string of unwanted / unsolicited p*rnographic images of himself via DM and Whatspp, that was his introduction to me.
She claimed that Renner had done the same with other women in the past.
A post shared by YiZHOU周依® (@yizhouofficial)
Zhou shared profiles of four women who reached out to her who faced something similar to her at the hands of Renner:
A post shared by YiZHOU周依® (@yizhouofficial)
If that’s not all, Zhou accused Renner of something even more disturbing. In her post, she told the story of a girl, Lacy Magee, who died in rehab after “the many lifestyles made of orgies, drugs because of the s*x parties allegedly at Jeremy Renner’s house and at other Hollywood men who brought her to that life of s*x orgy and drug.”
In the disclaimer, she did clarify that Renner didn’t directly cause her death, but rather it was the “consequence of the lifestyle of these men of Hollywood.“
Jeremy Renner’s Response to the Claims Against Him
The allegations are definitely not something that can be taken lightly, especially not when Yi Zhou seems to have proof in her hands. However, Jeremy Renner is denying all that the Chinese filmmaker has said, especially the part where she accused him of sending intimate photos and calling ICE on her.
A representative of the Mayor of Kingstown actor told Page Six, “The allegations being made are totally inaccurate and untrue.” While Renner himself hasn’t told his side of the story, all his fans can do is wait.
On the other hand, Zhou went on to be interviewed by the Daily Mail about the whole situation. She claimed in one of her posts that as soon as the interview was released,
Renner had to change his Instagram profile picture so can he say it was not him messaging victims but a scam account.
However, she added that scam accounts would not have 19.9 million followers, nor would they have reposted some of her previous posts on their feeds. As for WhatsApp, Zhou claimed that Renner has logged himself out of the platform so that “he can deny he has ever sent anything to any p*rn content to victims like myself and other women. Luckily, in the digital era, all the metadata is saved and is trackable.“
Talking to the Daily Mail, Zhou also stated that Renner got drunk during one of their meetings at his home and “yelled for two hours” while she locked herself in his bathroom. She added,
I had to location share to my team, my parents and Disney colleagues in case something happens to me they know where I am.
Zhou claimed that as she stayed in the locked room, she prayed that Renner wouldn’t come in as he was “really angry“. The filmmaker recalled that she “was so scared for [her] life.”
As for their relationship, Zhou told the Daily Mail that Renner was the one to approach her with s*xual advances, collaborate with her, and then deny any claims of their relationship. She said, “I did not reach out to him, he pursued me. I didn’t even know his name, never watched a movie of his. He used me and denied me and denied our work.”
It is safe to assume that Zhou will not be backing down without a fight and may even come forth with more. Renner, on the other hand, has stayed fairly quiet on the matter, with the exception of his rep’s short statement.
What are your thoughts on the whole ordeal? Let us know in the comments section below, and follow FandomWire for more updates.
