Jeremy Renner has denied serious allegations made by filmmaker Yi Zhou, who claimed the actor threatened to contact immigration authorities and sent her unsolicited explicit images. Renner’s representative stated these accusations are “totally inaccurate and false.” The denial came in a statement to Us Weekly on Friday, November 7.
Zhou, 34, initiated the controversy earlier this week by posting a series of accusations against the 54-year-old Marvel star on social media. The Chinese filmmaker alleged on Monday, November 3, that Renner sent her “a series of unsolicited pornographic images of himself” in June via direct messages and WhatsApp to start a relationship.
“He convinced me of his sincerity, saying he had been single for a long time and was open to a serious relationship,” Zhou wrote on Instagram, adding, “I believed in him, in the power of love, and the possibility of redemption.”
Zhou and Renner reportedly entered both a romantic and professional relationship, collaborating on projects like ‘Stardust Future’ and ‘Chronicles of Disney.’
However, Zhou claimed Renner later refused to promote ‘Chronicles of Disney.’ She also alleged he did not publicly deny reports that the project was AI-generated, which damaged her work’s reputation.
“When I privately confronted him about his past misconduct and asked him to behave appropriately, to respect me as a woman and a filmmaker, he threatened to call immigration/ICE,” Zhou stated in another Instagram post on Monday. She described this act as deeply shocking and frightening.
Zhou further alleged a traumatic incident at Renner’s home in Reno, Nevada, while they discussed ‘Chronicles of Disney.’ She told the Daily Mail in an interview published Thursday, November 6, that Renner drank a bottle of wine alone and “was shouting furiously for two hours.”
She claimed she had to share her location with her team, parents, and Disney colleagues as a precaution. Zhou also recounted locking herself in a room “for safety,” fearing he might enter due to his rage.
Text messages shared by Zhou with the Daily Mail reportedly showed a coworker advising her to “lock yourself in the bathroom? He seems crazy.” Zhou’s reply indicated she had locked the door and was worried after his two-hour shouting fit.
Zhou also provided the Daily Mail with alleged WhatsApp messages exchanged with Renner. In this exchange, Zhou told Renner to “go to hell” and called him a “pig.” She accused him of using “all the apps to send pictures of your penis,” stating, “nobody has said anything… until now.”
Renner’s alleged response was, “Immigration will be notified of your—.” Zhou declined to provide the rest of the message but indicated it concerned her immigration status.
In an Instagram post this week, Zhou expressed deep regret, sadness, and disappointment at being compelled to share her truth. Her Monday post revealed that for months, she has lived in fear for her safety and suffered profound distress. She emphasized that no woman should endure such emotional and psychological pressure professionally.
Zhou, implicitly referring to Renner, called for solidarity from “fellow filmmakers, Academy voters, Hollywood colleagues, executives, and women.” She affirmed that “all statements are backed by written records,” including the immigration threat allegations.
“Believe me, it took me a long time to gather the courage to write this and speak out,” Zhou wrote in a separate Instagram post. She thanked her team, agents, managers, and friends for supporting her in expressing her pain and humiliation.
Us Weekly has attempted to contact Zhou’s representative for further comment.