Actor Jeremy Renner is facing serious allegations from Chinese filmmaker Yi Zhou, who claims the Hawkeye star sent her unsolicited sexual images and later threatened to contact U.S. immigration authorities during an argument.
Zhou, 34, alleged in multiple Instagram posts that Renner, 54, initiated contact with her in June 2025 via direct message and WhatsApp, sending “a string of unwanted and unsolicited pornographic images of himself.” She says the two later entered a romantic relationship and collaborated on two projects an animated film and a documentary titled Chronicles of Disney.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Zhou described a disturbing confrontation at Renner’s home in Reno, Nevada. She claimed that during a meeting about the documentary, Renner consumed a bottle of wine, became enraged, and “yelled for two hours.”
“I had to location share with my team, my parents, and Disney colleagues in case something happened to me,” Zhou said. “I had to lock myself in a room to be safe, praying he would not come in at night. I was so scared for my life.”
Messages shared with the Daily Mail show Zhou describing Renner as “violent” and “crazy,” with one colleague advising her to lock herself in the bathroom.
In later posts, Zhou alleged that when she privately confronted Renner about his behavior, he retaliated by threatening to call U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on 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,” Zhou wrote. “It deeply shocked and frightened me.”
In one alleged message exchange, Zhou accused Renner of sending explicit photos: “U use all apps to send d**k pix. No one said anything. So far.” Renner reportedly replied, “Immigration will be notified of your—” before the message cuts off.
Zhou described her account as “a story of survival against domestic aggression, p0rn abuse, and workplace abuse.”
The filmmaker previously told the Daily Mail in October that she and Renner had been in a relationship, saying the actor had “found new love” with her.
Renner has not responded publicly to Zhou’s allegations.
The actor was previously accused of threats and substance abuse by his ex-wife, Sonni Pacheco, during their 2014 divorce. Renner denied those claims, and the two share joint custody of their 12-year-old daughter, Ava.
